PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. - The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), the only trade association representing the mutual interests between the cruise industry and destinations and stakeholders in the Caribbean and Latin America, announced its 2017 Seatrade Europe Partners: Belize Tourism Board, Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Dominican Republic Tourism Board, Guatemala Institute of Tourism (INGUAT), Port St. Maarten, Ports of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Blue Planet Tours, and Aquila Cruise Excellence.
Together with the FCCA and a joint initiative with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the Partners will target cruise executives from European ocean and river lines, along with the other 5,000 Seatrade Europe attendees, through private meetings, networking receptions, trade show space and more.
"I am thankful to CLIA and our Seatrade Europe Partners and excited to seize this opportunity together,"said Michele Paige, President, FCCA. "The FCCA's core mission is built on mutual success, and this new initiative will continue connecting the world of cruising for both us and our partners by developing invaluable relationships in and understanding of a key market."
"With the increasingly global nature of the industry, bilateral partnerships abroad are becoming even more valuable," said Adam Goldstein, President and COO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and Chairman, FCCA. "The FCCA has a long history of developing these partnerships, and its new initiative at Seatrade Europe offers a proven way for its Caribbean and Latin American partners to get closer to European cruise lines, stakeholders and source markets."
In the spirit of its mission to build mutual relationships and business, the FCCA has committed to making its first-ever participation in Seatrade Europe equally valuable for its partners by setting aside booth space at its trade show pavilion (#702) for the eight Seatrade Europe Partners to individualize and showcase their products to the attendees and host private meetings.
These efforts will be strengthened through an expansion of the FCCA's long-standing partnership with Seatrade and sister association, CLIA. Together, CLIA and the FCCA will work to connect the Partners with local stakeholders and the 270 executives from European ocean and river cruise lines by coordinating one-on-one meetings and networking events.
One such event, the co-hosted CLIA/FCCA Presidents' Reception, is expected to gather 40-50 cruise executives, along with select local stakeholders, in a casual setting to foster the development of relationships and business.
"Creating opportunities for dialogue between cruise lines and the port and destinations community is critically important for our industry's growth," said Cindy D'Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA. "Seatrade Europe has always been an important event for CLIA, and I am looking forward to sharing this experience with our friends at FCCA."
The Seatrade Europe initiative will be one of the many ways the FCCA and CLIA continue to work together to further project the industry's One Voice and help its partners optimize the global industry, with plans already in the works for Seatrade Cruise Med, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal from September 19-20, 2018.
