Miki Tourist Co., Ltd.
Royal Caribbean International Hosts Travel Partners Party 2022 ～Announcement of 34% increase in investment in the Japanese market and outlook for the future cruise market～
On November 16, 2022, the US cruise company Royal Caribbean
International (RCI) and Miki Tourist Co., Ltd., the company’s general agent in Japan, will hold “Travel Partners Party 2022” to promote cruises after the pandemic. We announced the market trends, future prospects, and policies such as measures to strengthen sales in the Japanese market. The party was attended by travel agencies, the media, port officials, and airline officials.
The main contents of the announcement are as follows.
-Presentation by Kenneth Yeo, RCI Regional Director (Sales) for Asia Pacific- [Image 1
(Image: Kenneth Yeo, RCI Asia Pacific Regional Director (Sales)) In Singapore, the number of reservations, which was about 190,000 in 2019, will recover to over 250,000 in 2022. Of these, 75% are first-time cruise passengers. In particular, demand from MICE, millennials, and three generations of parents and children stands out. He pointed out that the number of Japanese people leaving the country in August 2022 alone will account for about 30% of the number in January-August 2022. It is predicted that outbound demand will increase rapidly in Japan in the future.
In the Asia-Pacific region, apart from Singapore, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia have increased their market share significantly, but before 2019, Japan also had the top 4-5 share. There are high expectations for the Japanese market in the future, and in 2023, the amount of investment in the Japanese market is expected to increase by 34% from 2019, and sales are expected to increase by 23%.
-Presentation by Yukihiko Hashimoto, Marketing Section Manager, Miki Tourist Co., Ltd.-
[Image 2
(Image: Changes in reservation status on the official Japanese website of Royal Caribbean, compared to 2019 and 2022)
Commentary on the reservation status and user demographics of the RCI official Japanese site in 2022 compared to 2019 before Corona. The number of reservations has increased significantly since June 2022, and in October, it was about 70% of the same month in 2019, and in the last three months (August, September, October), it was about 60% of the monthly average in 2019. recovered up to
By age group, there is an increase in use by families with preschool children and elderly people in their 70s and older (mainly repeaters). According to a questionnaire for those who made reservations, the number of first-time cruise users, which was less than 30% in 2019, will increase to nearly half in 2022. Of these, word-of-mouth and Internet searches accounted for most of the media that triggered the number of first-time cruise users to book cruises, but SNS such as Twitter and YouTube have also grown significantly compared to 2019. On the other hand, for users who have already experienced cruising, guidance from travel agencies and RCI’s official e-mail magazine are triggers for reservations.
In the future, we will strengthen influencer measures and customer development measures for new segments such as families and young people. At the same time, we are implementing measures to improve engagement with existing cruise fans.
A variety of lines, including the world’s largest cruise ship “Icon of the Seas” which will debut in January 2024, year-round ships in Singapore by Spectrum of the Seas, Japan route cruises, Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises. We will prepare upgrades and focus on sales. -Presentation by Tatsuya Hyakutake, CEO of Miki Tourist Cruise Company- [Image 3
(Image: About brand strategy after pandemic)
Currently, while cruise operations have resumed worldwide, operations have not resumed in the Baltic Sea, which calls at ports in Russia, the Black Sea adjacent to Ukraine, and East Asian waters, including Japan. I feel a sense of incongruity in being parallel to the two sea areas. It is necessary to carefully disseminate information on trends in the international cruise market to Japanese consumers and travel agencies.
Citing articles from overseas media, mentioning trends in the international cruise market.
The post-pandemic international cruise market is expected to be worth $15 billion by 2028, growing at an annual rate of 11%. Generation Z will surpass millennials. (TRAVEL PULSE 10/19)
Many well-known hotel chains are reportedly planning to enter the cruise industry. (TRAVEL WEEKLY 10/6)
Although it is not a favorable situation, the number of MICE projects using cruises has increased significantly because it is possible to reduce costs by 20-40% against the backdrop of high prices (TTG MICE 10/31).
The health and safety of passengers, crew and port communities remains RCI’s top priority post-pandemic, but the pandemic environment has brought to the fore the social bubble and close contact identification devices. The scenery is completely different.
Not only in North America and Europe, but also in Southeast Asia, the demand for postponed overseas trips, which lasted for two and a half years, is suddenly recovering.
For the one-way cruise between Singapore and Japan scheduled for 2023, the high-end cabins are still in stock, but the cabins below the balcony are sold out, so I don’t think the high-income segment is moving.
The current external environment, such as high prices overseas, high fuel prices, and a weak yen, is by no means a tailwind for outbound. However, with fly & cruise products, some of them can be used as an advantage to provide solutions that are close to consumers. Fly and cruise products, which have traditionally been on the edge of overseas travel products, are now firmly convinced that the greatest
opportunity to play a central role in overseas travel in the future will come after the pandemic.
About Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning international cruise brand that has been innovating for 50 years and continues to introduce industry firsts never before seen at sea. With Broadway-style entertainment and innovative facilities on board, we offer a wide variety of programs that families and adventurous guests can enjoy. We operate 26 of the world’s most innovative cruise ships in popular destinations around the world, including Bermuda, Caribbean, Europe, Canada, United States, Alaska, New England, South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. We will guide you to In addition, we have established a service standard called “Gold Anchor Service”, and all staff will welcome you with the best hospitality. Royal Caribbean International has been named “Best Cruise Line Overall” for the 19th consecutive year in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards. Details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000057.000026704.html
