Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific returns to Hong Kong

As cruising starts to make a comeback in the region following Covid, the Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific conference returned to Hong Kong after a four-year absence. Rebuilding Asia Cruising Together was held at the JW Marriott Hong Kong from October 24-26 [2023]. It featured a two-track conference program and a tabletop zone featuring ports, destinations, and service providers from all over Asia.

A conference programme organised by Informa markets in partnership with Seatrade Cruise featured impressive keynotes and a supplier showcase area, which featured leading stakeholders in the industry. It was good to see such a strong international cruise community from the UK, Europe, and the US attending the conference with a strong APAC gathering.This included ports, destinations, and service providers from across the region showcasing their latest facilities and products.

“Collaboration plays a key role in the continued growth of cruise in Asia,” said Chiara Giorgi, Global Brand and Event Director for Seatrade Cruise. With dedicated programming and networking opportunities designed to spark new ideas and create new synergies, Seatrade is excited to return to Hong Kong.”

opening reception cocktail and traditional lion dance welcome

Networking

Throughout the three-day event, participants had multiple opportunities to connect with colleagues. The opening reception kicked off the festivities with a lively Hong Kong dragon dance. The following evening, HKTB hosted a cocktail reception at Ocean Terminal, offering stunning views of the city’s iconic skyline and Victoria Harbour. As an added bonus, guests were treated to Silversea’s, Silver Muse departing from the terminal that evening.

On the final night, attendees mingled with locals and members of the food and wine industry at the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, which marked its return after a three year break due to Covid. It was clear that Hong Kong spared no effort in warmly welcoming the cruise industry and providing them with a memorable experience of what the city has to offer.

Mr Kenneth Wong, General Manager MICE & Cruise of the Hong Kong Tourism Board [HKTB], expressed his gratitude in facilitating and fully supporting the Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific event. He added that choosing Hong Kong as the host for Asia’s leading post-pandemic trade event for the cruise industry “showcases its prominent position as Asia’s cruise hub and reinforces its global standing. The event will bring together top professionals from all over the world to experience first hand Hong Kong’s new travel experience, which will further highlight its restored normalcy to the world.”

Conference

Official opening of conference by Y.K. Pang, Dane Cheng and Kevin Yeung

The morning began with an official welcome address featuring Dr Y.K. Pang, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, and Mr Dane Cheng, Executive Director of Hong Kong Tourism Board and Mr Kevin Yeung, GBS, JP, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, The Government of The HKSAR, as keynote speakers.

Mary Bond, Group Portfolio Director for Seatrade Cruise, then led panel sessions with renowned figures in the international and regional cruise industry. These esteemed individuals, including Hervé Gastinel (CEO of Ponant), Michael Goh (President of Resorts World Cruises), Bert Hernandez (SVP International for Royal Caribbean International), and Shoichiro Yamashita (Head of Cruise Business Unit at Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.), engaged in a lively discussion on the revival of Asian cruising.

Mary Bond moderating the opening panel session

Following this, sessions explored regional trends, the current state and provided insights into future cruises and markets.Ted Blamey, Principal of CHART, moderated a panel discussion on deployment, capacity,and source markets in the region, with speakers Helen Huang, MSC, Dr Zinan Liu, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Sally Riu Association for Cruise Development Taiwan, and Akira Shimuzi Mitsui OSK Lines.

Afternoon sessions

After a delicious luncheon, the afternoon events allowed guests to attend various sessions according to their interests. Joel Katz of CLIA Australasia, discussed global sustainability and its impact on Asian standards. Additionally, Christine Chow from West Kowloon Cultural District shared rare antiquities exhibitions happening at the M+ Museum, joined by Anita Lai from Disneyland, Johnny So from Ocean Park & Felix Chan from HKTB. These discussions were led by moderator Dickson Chin from Wallem Ship Agency, with each participant displaying great enthusiasm for Hong Kong’s potential as a destination for cruise ship visitors and crew to explore.

Dickson Chin with Felix Chan,Christine Chow, Anita Lai & Johnny So

Some fascinating afternoon sessions delved into a variety of topics. One focused on destination stewardship, addressing the importance of preserving heritage and culture while still creating new and exciting experiences for cruisers. Panellists included Wen Ciu Lee,Intercruises, who mentioned the partnership with National Geographic for research into more unique experiences, Alvin Materi, Destination Asia, who mentioned Lombok as a destination and noted that visitor expectation was an important aspect.

Justin Poulsen, Silversea noted that they visit more than 900 ports and explained how Silversea spent years researching and collaborating with stakeholders & locals to introduce new destinations. As an example, he detailed Mornington Island [off N. Australia] as a unique destination and hoped to see more cruise ships visiting in future.This informative session was moderated by Joel Katz, CLIA Australasia.

        Joel Katz with Wen Ciu Lee, Justin Poulsen, Alvin Materi

Additionally, a presentation by founders and Principals from Miami firm Berenblum Busch Architects, Gustavo Berenblum & Claudia Busch,provided valuable insights on current worldwide trends in cruise terminal design including specific examples in Spain and Japan.Their environmentally sustainable concepts were both innovative and applicable not only for cruise terminals but future city developments globally.

Gustavo Berenblum and Claudia Busch

Barbara Muckermann, Silversea’s President, gave an impactful keynote presentation to conclude the afternoon session. She provided key findings on the luxury global market and how traveller behaviour had changed in the past three years.

Barbara Muckermann, President Silversea

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