Higher tourist arrivals expected with cruise ship's regular calls to Manila

MANILA, Philippines - As much as 22,000 tourists are expected to visit Manila from now until Nov. 2010 as Costa Cruises, Italy’s largest tourism group and Europe’s number one cruise company, begins regular calls to Manila. Costa Classica, one of its 14-storey, 53,000 gross-tonnage ships recently docked at South Harbour for the very first time, bringing 1,300 guests to Manila.

The visit was part of a 14-day itinerary that included calls to Singapore, Ho Chi Minh and Da-Namg in Vietnam, Kota Kinabalu, Brunei and Sanya, China.

“With a growing demand in cruise holidays in Asia, we are pleased to see that governments, tourism boards and travel agents of the region are acknowledging more and more the benefits that the cruise industry can bring to local economies, and are subsequently supporting us in the promotion and by building infrastructure capable to meet the expected growth in their respective markets,” said Dario Rustico, sales and marketing director of Costa Cruises Pacific Asia Operations.

Costa Cruises has over 60 years of maritime passenger service experience, and is the first large international cruise company authorized to operate in the Chinese market and depart from the country’s ports. In 2007, the company exceeded one million guests, a historic achievement for the company and a first for any European cruise operator.

About 40 percent of Costa Cruises’ workforce is made up of Filipinos, with Magsaysay Maritime Corp. as its manning agent in the Philippines. Together with its other brands, AIDA Cruises and Iberocruceros, Costa Cruises employs over 8,000 Filipino crew on-board through its partnership with Magsaysay. Carnival Corp., the largest cruise company group in the world operating Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises and Iberocruceros, estimates about 80 percent of their crew members to be Filipinos.

The Costa Classica is expected to visit Manila 11 times from 2009 to 2010.

As the cruise industry continues to grow in Asia, Costa Cruises will be sending a newer ship — Costa Romantica – to Manila. Costa Romantica, with the same gross-tonnage as Costa Classica, will be in Asia to replace Costa Allegra from April 2010. With Costa Classica, Costa Allegra and Costa Romantica, Costa Cruises becomes the only world-class cruise company to make regular calls to Manila.

“We expect to bring more than 22,000 passengers to Manila with the combined lower berth capacity of the three ships, Costa Allegra, Costa Classica and Costa Romantica, generating tremendous economic benefits to the city, from now till November 2010,” Rustico added.