NCLH aims to treble Indian passengers to 20,000 in two yrs

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) is eyeing trebling the number of passengers from India on its cruise liners to about 20,000 in two years, a senior company executive said today.
"Asia is an increasingly important market for NCLH. Cruise tourism in the region is growing at double-digit rates, the demand is increasing from both cruise passengers from India and the rest of Asia, and international travellers are seeking to experience Asian destinations," NCLH Senior Vice President and Managing Director Asia Pacific Steve Odell told PTI here.
"The total cruise market in India is 90,000 passengers annually, of which we have 10 per cent market share," Odell added.

In 2015, NCLH hosted 6,000 passengers from India, which the company is aiming to treble by end of 2018 to about 20,000, he added.
Indians mostly prefer the Miami, Alaska and Mediterranean cruise, NCLH Executive Vice President, International Business Development, Harry Sommer said.
"India is an important source market for us and we initially want to focus on the existing cruise holiday experiences and strengthen them.

"The company has opened offices in the country to expand its local operations, and looks to further strengthen its presence in Asia - which includes offices in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo," Sommer said.

The opening of the offices has coincided with the company's contemporary premium brand, NCL, returning to Asia for the first time since 2002.
Norwegian Star will make Mumbai a seasonal home port with its maiden call in November 2016 and offer two sailings till March 2017.
With Mumbai's position as a popular tourist destination, India is a leading choice for cruise passengers and strategically located for short and long voyage itineraries, Sommer said, adding Japan, China and India are the three big market for NCLH in Asia.
Going forward, NCLH is also planning to add Singapore and Hong Kong as boarding points for cruise holidays.

"After launching Singapore and Hong Kong as boarding points, we expect the Asian market to pick up faster," he added.
Further, he said, NCLH will introduce five new ships across its three iconic brands over the next four years.
It will also invest USD 525 million on fleet enhancements to further elevate the on-board experience for its passengers.
It currently operates 23 ships, that comprise approximately 45,800 lower berths, which visit over 510 destinations around the world.