“At a time in 2020 it seemed that the most dangerous place in the world was our ships. But we never stopped and created a security protocol that has not only become a best practice in the cruise industry but also in the hospitality field by inventing the concept of a social bubble. Now the conditions have changed and improved (when we left there were not even vaccines). Cruising has become a flexible journey and one of the safest in the world. We see a strong recovery and a very high desire to start again even if we have to deal with the conflict (which for some time created anxiety but also “ethical” problems in travelers) and above all with the lower spending power of families (the lower middle class he is suffering a lot, we can see it from the numbers) ». Speaking, gathering signs of approval from all the top of the competitors is Leonardo Massa, Managing Director of Msc Cruises, protagonist at the Bit of Milan of a great event dedicated to this sector of the tourism supply chain which was very affected at the beginning of the pandemic but he quickly demonstrated resilience, flexibility and the ability to be reborn.
With him on stage also the top management of Costa Cruises represented by Carlo Schiavon, Royal Caribbean by Gianni Rotondo, Norwegian Cruise Line by Francesco Paradisi and one of the novelties, in Italy but already well known in Europe, Avalon Waterways which offers river cruises on the Rhine and on the Danube. Cruises that are becoming an increasingly transversal product with private islands and large investments by companies in ports.
«The pandemic – explains Massa – has accelerated everything, what would have happened anyway happened in 25 months (we are always evolving like our customers) but in 10 years. Digital and sustainability are now the keys of the present and the future “.
Rotondo of Royal Caribbean talks about how his company has enriched the offer of ports of embarkation “to prevent customers from traveling by plane” and how there is no longer that 8-9 months anticipated demand from customers Americans who often prevented Italian ones (who have always been more inclined to book under date): “Now we have many places for Italian customers too”.
Anthony La Salandra, director of Risposte Turismo, highlights the strengths that have allowed the cruise industry to recover from the initial shock of the pandemic: “Cruising has very solid foundations: the quantity of repeaters which is something that in other tourism products does not exist and was essential for the restart. The Value for Money that always attracts: “How much would a traveling holiday or even a trip around the world cost?” Salandra says.
Finally, the origin of customers, especially from Europe and North America. “In Italy – he says – we are investing in many new structures in the ports and this shows the confidence in this sector in which over 7 million travelers are expected for this year, not yet as in 2019 but on the right track”.
Schiavon of Costa Cruises tells how his company, even in these difficult times, has always believed and invested in communication with the presence of the flagship ship in connection with the Sanremo festival and the commercials with little Leo, the child who cries because cruise is over. «This – he says – he also paid for us in terms of reservations. Now we have had a cooling down with the Ukrainian war and we hope above all that the war will end and that the situation will normalize ».
In the end, the leaders of the major companies answer a difficult question: has there been anything good achieved at the end of these two difficult years? “We were companies used to working well in advance, even with reservations, in these two years we have learned to change while running and to work at great speed, even under the date, says Schiavon di Costa.
«In 2018-19 one of the main themes – adds Massa of MSC – was how much our ships bothered us. Suddenly in 2020 the world realized how much well-being and business we were bringing to the territories, even trivially to bars, restaurants, shops. Our cruise industry in 2019 was worth 3% of GDP. We know how to build ships, they are our excellence, we have an exceptional school of captains, we have a crazy position on the sea, we have companies, entrepreneurs. In short, we are happy that, even thanks to such a hard event, we have realized it ». Finally, the consideration of Risposte turismo: “How important cruises are, we have seen from our 2020 calculation which calculated the lack of contribution to the Italian economy of cruise tourism at the end of 2020 due to Covid-19 at the end of 2020” .
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