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Singapore Tourism Board, CLIA team on Asia-Pacific marketing, training

(Photo: Anne Kalosh)
CLIA’s most recent Asia Cruise Trends reported Southeast Asia contributed close to 15% of Asia’s passengers. Here, a family checks in at Singapore's Marina Bay Cruise Centre
The Singapore Tourism Board and Cruise Lines International Association announced a new three-year partnership aimed at boosting the increasingly vibrant cruise industry in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

STB and CLIA will tap their complementary strengths to undertake travel agent training, augment destination marketing efforts, spur regional port development and exchange technical and regulatory best practices.

The partnership marks CLIA’s first collaboration with a national tourism organisation in the Asia-Pacific region. It comes at a time when cruising in Southeast Asia, home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies, is fast picking up steam. CLIA’s most recent Asia Cruise Trends reported Southeast Asia contributed close to 15% of Asia’s passengers.

In the first year of the partnership, STB and CLIA plan to conduct travel agent training in priority cruise markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia and India. With the majority of cruise bookings made via agents, these training sessions aim to enhance trade sales skills overall and knowledge of Southeast Asia cruises in particular. The partnership will leverage CLIA’s professional training capabilities and STB’s travel trade networks.

'As Southeast Asia’s cruise industry is still in a nascent stage of growth, this partnership draws on CLIA’s expertise, networks and platforms, as well as STB’s strong understanding of regional travel trade and market nuances, to shape and spur growth in this region,' said Lionel Yeo, STB’s chief executive.

'The STB has been a valuable partner for CLIA; through this further collaboration we will strengthen and grow the cruise industry in Southeast Asia,' CLIA president and CEO Cindy D’Aoust said.