The ‘unprecedented speed of the demographic
change in China’ provides a ‘huge opportunity’ for cruise companies in that
country, according to the latest Seatrade Research Report, Cruising through the
Perfect Storm, authored by industry analyst Tony Peisley.
The Chinese have also increased their per-person
spending on outbound travel by two-thirds over the same period and now the
China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA) has identified 300m Chinese
as potential cruise passengers - the equivalent of the entire population of
either North America or Western Europe .
Although current figures are still modest in
global terms with 750,000 cruise visitors to Chinese ports in 2011, the key
statistic is that the number of homeporting calls overtook transit calls for
the first time last year.
Chinese passenger numbers are now approaching
300,000 and cruise lines believe there is long term potential to turn China into a
year-round market with regional cooperation and investment from the ASEAN
countries.
The report, which contains an entire chapter on
the China phenomenon, also predicts that Chinese shipbuilders will not only
build ships for the Chinese market but will ultimately be building for
international brands operating outside Asia, too.
At the same time, those international brands
already cruising out of China
have not ruled out eventually operating Chinese-built ships specifically
designed for the China
market.
As well as new chapters on China and river
cruising, Cruising Through the Perfect Storm will analyse the potential impact
of IMO fuel emission regulations and addresses the question on many port and
cruise line executives minds': will the new regulations change the cruise
business model, post-2015? Other chapters focus on the financial performances
of the major cruise companies; a survey of shipyard cruise ship order books;
detailed reviews of source markets; comparisons of economic impact studies for
cruise industries and destinations; and an overview of global cruise
infrastructure developments.
Cruising through the Perfect Storm will be
published on May 31 and will feature 300 pages of analysis, including 200
tables of industry statistics.