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250 business owners will participate in a regional cruise ship event to be held in Costa Rica for the first time

 

  • The 5th edition of the Central American Cruise Conference will be held from May 22-24, 2019 in the Costa Rica Convention Centre.
  •  The conference is designed to promote a better understanding of the work of cruise ships and develop beneficial relationships between the industry and stakeholders in Central America.

From May 22 to 24, Costa Rica will host the Central American Cruise Conference for the first time. The biannual event organized by the Florida and Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) will see participation from 250 cruise industry professionals and 16 executives from the world’s leading cruise lines.

This special forum, in its 5th edition, is designed to promote a better understanding of the work of the cruise industry and to promote relationships among Central American professionals working in the sector. The conference will also provide extensive information on the importance of our region and the abundance of its offerings and benefits to cruise executives.

“It is our objective to position Costa Rica globally as a profitable destination for the cruise industry and we are very grateful to FCCA for entrusting us with the 5th edition of the Central American Cruise Conference,” said María Amalia Revelo, Costa Rican Minister of Tourism.

The agenda is geared towards anyone who does or seeks to do business in the Central American cruise industry, including port authorities, tour operators, government officials, cruise and tourism agencies, tourism operators, tourist attractions, suppliers and ship brokers.

During the event, workshops will be offered to support attendees in conducting business in the cruise industry. Led by an impressive list of executives, these sessions will provide clear and concise information on how to succeed and excel in today's cruise industry, with topics that include: the creation and evolution of a successful tourism product, and maintaining that success; developing a cruise port, including why and how cruise lines choose to invest or partner with a destination/port, as well as ways to involve the public and private sectors; and the lessons learned by other destinations that tackle cruise tourism problems and have experienced improvements from their efforts.

“This event was devised to help attendees build relationships and a better understanding to improve their cruise tourism businesses in this rapidly developing and vital market. So, if you are based in Central America and you want to grow your business with the cruise industry, I urge you to attend this event so we can grow together”, concluded Michele M. Paige, President of FCCA and organizer of this conference.

Cruise ship passengers in Costa Rica

The expenditure of cruise ship passengers in 2018 was US$8.4 million. In total, these ships boarded over 255 000 passengers who spend money on some activity in the country, resulting in an important impact on the revitalization of the local economy in coastal communities.

The five Costa Rican cruise ports are located on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. The ports of Puntarenas, Caldera, Limón, Golfito and Quepos periodically receive cruise ships and have shown steady growth in recent years, with a positive impact on the economic development of tourist destinations. Currently, several public institutions, including the Ministry of Tourism and port authorities continue working hand in hand with private tourism companies to promote and develop the cruise industry as a national priority sector.

According to the Costa Rican Tourism Board’s maritime cruise survey for the 2017-2018 season, 51.1% of cruise-goers arriving in Puntarenas and Limón were over 65 years old. 46.1% were men and 53.9% were women. They came mainly from the United States (62.4%), Europe (17.3%), and Canada (13.0%). Of arrivals to Limón and Puntarenas, 70.6% travelled as a couple and 12.8% as a family.