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Vancouver has begun welcoming more than 1,350 travel agents and cruise line representatives from around the world for sold-out trade conference Cruise360, taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre from June 1 to 6.
Hosted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the conference is typically held in Fort Lauderdale, though this year marks the third time Vancouver has hosted.
“Vancouver has earned an international reputation as a premiere home port and travel destination, and Cruise360’s decision to return here absolutely reinforces that,” Tourism Vancouver director of leisure travel Dayna Miller said.
“The conference will give some of the world’s most influential travel professionals the opportunity to experience Vancouver’s cruise ship product, convention facilities and spectacular outdoors firsthand – and that in turn will give them key knowledge and inspiration to endorse and market our city to their clients.”
Each time, the Pacific Rim Cruise Association (PRCA) – a consortium comprised of Tourism Vancouver, Destination BC, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and Vancouver Airport Authority – works closely with conference organizers to bring the internationally recognized event to the city.
This year, attending agents will travel here from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Taiwan.
Vancouver’s reputation as a world-class cruise destination is driven by a stunning and centrally located harbour setting as well as award-winning Vancouver International Airport and exceptional cruise terminal facilities – all of which consistently earn high passenger satisfaction scores.
In 2015, the PRCA conducted a survey of more than 2,100 passengers on their destination and cruise experience. Key findings include:
Overall satisfaction of Vancouver as a travel destination is “extremely high”
More than 70 percent of passengers stay an average of 2.5 nights in the city pre- or post-cruise
Top destination activities among cruise passengers (in order of priority) are sightseeing, dining, exploring parks and other natural areas, shopping and visiting attractions
The majority of cruise visitors are from the U.S. (62 percent)
International cruise visitation in 2015 was 23 percent (up from 12 percent in 2006)
Vancouver is Canada’s largest cruise port, and a leading home port for Alaska cruises offering one-way and round-trip itineraries through Canada’s Inside Passage. This season, Vancouver expects 228 cruise ship calls carrying 830,000 passengers.
Each call generates roughly $2 million in economic activity. “Cruising British Columbia’s coastline is one of the most spectacular tourism experiences in the world. We love hosting the Cruise360 conference to show off the beautiful setting that makes us an unforgettable destination as well as to showcase our first class conference centre, port facilities and airport,” Destination British Columbia CEO Marsha Walden said.
“We hope delegates will take this opportunity to explore BC and see how much we offer visitors – our monumental Rocky Mountains, the wild beauty of our north, the lush rainforests of our west coast, and vibrant cities perched on the edge of it all. Wherever they turn, they will find inspiration.”
Source: australia.etbtravelnews.com
