Singapore Tourism Board forum seeks to catalyze Indian cruising

'India is one of Singapore’s top five source markets for cruises and the Indians have great affinity to cruise from here to explore Southeast Asia,' said Annie Chang, deputy director, cruise, STB.

Despite this interest, the market has not gathered as much momentum as would be expected and Indian cruise professionals think there is pent-up demand for more cruise products.

The forum seeks to provide a platform in India for international cruise brands to get deeper insights into the workings of the Indian cruise market and opportunities for networking with key players across the value chain. The forum will feature some 10 speakers representing international cruise brands, airlines, airports and top travel agents vested in Asia and India.

About 100 senior management representatives of India’s travel industry have been invited to attend.

The day will kick off with STB conducting travel agent training in partnership with Cruise Lines International Association in a workshop titled 'Building Your Cruise Business.'

Singapore in 2014 became the first Asian country to be named 'Destination of the Year' at the eighth Seatrade Insider Cruise Awards, which recognize achievements in the global cruise industry. One of the reasons Singapore was selected by an independent judging panel was for its work in promoting cruising, not just within Singapore, but in catalyzing the whole region.

STB is also partnering with CNBC TV18, India’s most watched business news channel, to spearhead and launch the event. The forum will be filmed and produced as part of a five-episode series on 'The Business of Smart Travel' on the CNBC TV18 channel. The first episode will air Feb. 14.

Photos and videos of the forum will be uploaded on a microsite hosted on www.moneycontrol.com to drive interest in the television series.