1. I am very happy to be here at the Singapore Cruise Centre to welcome the arrival of the mega-cruise ship, the SuperStar Virgo. The arrival of Superstar Virgo demonstrates the confidence its owner, Star Cruises, has in the potential of the ASEAN region as an attractive cruise destination.

 

2. I am particularly pleased that Star Cruises has chosen the SuperStar Virgo to be based here in Singapore. This marks a new milestone for us in our ongoing journey to develop Singapore as a major cruise centre.

 

Developments in the Asian Cruise Industry

3. When the Singapore Cruise Centre was set up in 1991, it was targeted primarily at major western cruise lines. Our strategy was to attract these cruise lines to base their ships in Singapore, during the off-peak seasons in traditional Caribbean and Mediterranean cruise centres. These American and European-style ships catered to a traditional Western cruise market, made up mainly of folk from the older generation.

 

4. This picture has changed considerably. What we have seen over the years has been the development of a unique and home-grown cruise product to cater for an emerging Asian cruise market. Pioneered by Star Cruises, this product is made up of activity-oriented, fun-filled and affordable cruise packages targeted at families. Besides catering well to the multi-ethnic passenger profile in our region, this cruise product has also been successful in attracting international travellers from North America, Europe, Australia, Japan, China and India.

 

5. The development of this cruise product has contributed to a remarkable growth in cruise passenger numbers. The Singapore Cruise Centre broke the million-passenger mark for the first time in 1998. This was despite the regional economic crisis. We witnessed a remarkable 32 per cent growth in cruise calls and 33 per cent boost in passenger figures. We expect this buoyant growth to continue as the economy recovers. Forecasts from the Singapore Tourism Board are good - they predict that cruise passenger numbers will increase to 1.5 million by 2003.

 

6. Given this encouraging picture, we will have to continually review our cruise facilities to make sure that they are sufficient to cater to the trends and demands of the cruise industry. This will enable us to effectively tap into the growing cruise market and help maintain Singapore’s position as an Asia Pacific cruise hub.

 

7. One important factor is size. Cruise ships today are getting bigger and are packing in more facilities, features and passengers. Mega-cruise ships look set to be the dominant trend in the cruise industry, with the major cruise lines all gearing up to acquire more such big ships. For example, Star Cruises has announced plans to bring in four more ships of the Libra and Sagittarius class from 2001 to 2005.

 

8. With the size factor in mind, we must ensure that Singapore has the necessary berthing facilities for mega-cruise ships as well as adequate terminal facilities for handling higher passenger traffic. I am pleased to say that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board are actively looking into this to see how Singapore can meet this future challenge, including the feasibility of developing a new cruise centre.

 

9. While Singapore is happy with the healthy growth in our cruise ship and passenger arrivals, we also recognise that the region’s rich cultural diversity and myriad tourist attractions present a tremendous opportunity awaiting to be tapped by the cruise industry. Co-ordinated efforts among ASEAN countries to promote and market ASEAN as a cruise destination would surely create a win-win situation for both ports-of-call and ports of embarkation/disembarkation, not to mention boosting tourism for the respective economies.

 

10. In order to formulate the necessary action plans for this joint co-operation effort, an ASEAN Cruise Working Group has been formed. This working group, chaired by Singapore, will involve ASEAN transport and tourism officials. The inaugural meeting will be held in Singapore in October this year. The group will seek to explore and develop opportunities for co-operation in the areas of cruise infrastructure development, joint marketing and promotion, and the exchange of information.

 

11. With that, let me close by wishing Star Cruises all success for the future. I am confident that the addition of the Superstar Virgo to this encouraging regional cruise landscape will help to further develop the popularity of cruises.

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