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Costa Crociere S.p.A
Italian cruise specialists, Costa Crociere,
set up its regional Asia headquarters in Hong Kong in September 2005.
From its Hong Kong office it manages the company’s new Asia itineraries
and acts as a sales and marketing office for the region. Hong Kong also
serves as a base for further business development into the
high-potential Mainland China market.
Why Hong Kong?
“When we were looking for a location in Asia we needed somewhere that
would help us achieve two objectives for the region,” explains Massimo
Brancaleoni, Vice President, Pacific Asia Operations.
“We wanted to offer a new itinerary of Asia cruises to our existing
European and American clients and, at the same time, we aim to build a
new level of interest in cruising among Asian holidaymakers,” continues
Brancaleoni.
The result is a nine-man office in Hong Kong, with a further 50 staff
in Mainland China. The Hong Kong and Mainland-China based operations
are expected to up their head-count in 2008 to cater to a high level of
interest in the region.
For Italian-born, Brancaleoni, Hong Kong offers a combination of
advantages which have made it an ideal base. “From Hong Kong I can
easily access all major markets in this region,” he explains. “It’s not
only about physical proximity, it’s also about the number and frequency
of regional and international flights that Hong Kong offers,” adds
Brancaleoni. As the seasoned cruise sector professional explains, when
you’re growing a regional business you need flights that leave every
day, and preferably multiple times a day. |
Hong Kong advantages
- Easy and convenient
access to other regional centres.
- Established local
workforce of dedicated travel professionals with regional and
international experience.
- Local market of
sophisticated, high-income, customers.
- Convenient base to
build new business in high-growth Mainland China market.
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Hong Kong is also the home port for Costa’s only Asia-based cruise
ship, the Allegra. The 800-passenger boutique ship has been completely
refurbished to cater to its Asian surroundings, while maintaining the
Italian styling and elegance seen across the global Costa fleet. “We
combine Italian and Asian crew to ensure that our guests, wherever they
come from, feel comfortable and at home. Working with our experienced
team in Hong Kong, we’ve been able to better understand the local
market and to include touches that appeal to new guests,” says
Brancaleoni.
Hong Kong also gives Costa direct access to a sophisticated,
high-income and internationally-experienced local holiday market, as
well allowing the team to learn more about effective regional sales and
marketing strategies. “This is a region with less experience of cruise
holidays than, say, Europe or North America, so we’ve had to develop a
lot of education and promotional campaigns to highlight the advantages
of cruising,” explains Brancaleoni. The company has been working hard
with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and local travel companies to develop
sales and marketing models.
Finally, Brancaleoni concedes that the Hong Kong lifestyle also played
a role in the decision to locate the office in the city. “When you have
a family, you want to be somewhere that they will enjoy living – and
where they have easy access to good schools, housing and healthcare.
Hong Kong certainly fits this description.”
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About
Costa Crociere
Costa Crociere is part of the Carnival Corporation, the world’s biggest
cruise company, which also includes Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line,
Seabourn Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises United
Kingdom and P&O Cruises Australia.
Carnival Corporation’s fleet of 79 ships carries more than 137,000
passengers at any given time and its combined cruise lines and vacation
companies attract 5.4 million guests annually.
In November 2007, Costa launched its first 14 night Asia itinerary. The
‘Jewel of Asia’ itinerary includes taking passengers to seven ports in
five countries: Vietnam, China, The Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
www.costacruisesasia.com
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