As part of ongoing efforts to boost Taiwan’s profile and attractiveness in the Asia-Pacific cruise market, Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) maintains an open invitation for cruise ship companies to visit TIPC port facilities and investigate the country’s touristic allures. On November 1st, TIPC was honored to welcome a delegation from two Carnival Corporation cruise lines, Holland America Line and Seabourn, for a nine-day, eight-night FAM Trip. The TIPC-organized itinerary included stops at scenic and cultural attractions nationwide, visits to TIPC port facilities, introductions to passenger services and tourism resources, and discussions regarding port-of-call visits to the nation in the future.
VIP guests in the delegation included Holland America Travel Product Manager Madeleine Ninness, Holland America Deployment & Itinerary Planning Manager Chris Bacon, and Seabourn Manager for Deployment Planning & Analysis Jeff Shieh. All three play key roles in their respective companies with regard to itinerary planning and implementation, market analysis, and in-port tourism planning and development, and are influential in new route development in Asia.
TIPC notes that all major cruise ship companies have been stepping up planning and deployment activities in the East Asia market in recent years. Holland America and Seabourn are significant players in this industry with strong bases of customer support and products ranging from premium / luxury cruise packages to mainstream cruise offerings. The strong post-pandemic return of the cruise vacation market in East Asia has encouraged cruise ship companies to be bullish on continued growth in regional routes and itineraries, especially in the area of in-depth / unique experience opportunities at less-frequented ports-of-call. The visit schedule for the current delegation was arranged by TIPC with assistance from the national Tourism Administration. The visit itinerary, which began in Taipei City, included stops at TIPC’s main cruise / passenger ports at Tainan, Kaohsiung, the Penghu Archipelago, Taichung, Hualien and Keelung, where the delegates were introduced to passenger and cruise-ship handling facilities, passenger services, and nearby tourism highlights, providing a comprehensive overview of port capabilities and Taiwan’s strong touristic potential.
One of the delegates shared that, “We are always looking on behalf of our passengers for ports offering diverse cultural experiences and local charm. This FAM Trip helps us better understand the diversity available here in Taiwan and the unique vibe that each port and its city have. It’s left quite an impression. With the strong level of safety and convenience you have here as well, we will be continuing to increase our calls at Taiwan ports going forward.”
TIPC recognizes the robust demand from cruise Lines for new destinations and passenger experiences to enrich and expand their portfolio of Asian cruise itineraries. All TIPC ports have both the infrastructure and appeal necessary to support cruise industry growth needs. Port of Taichung is centrally located, the Ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung are both easily added stops, and the completion of Wharf 1 at Penghu (Magong) Port now makes the archipelago accessible even to large international cruise ships. TIPC President Chin-jung Wang recently remarked that, “helping cruise Lines really understand Taiwan’s port facilities and the potential for tourism through in-country delegations like this is a critical step in promoting our international port-of-call business. In the future, we will continue working with the Tourism Administration and local governments to promote inbound tourism and attract new business, increase international cruise ship calls at Taiwan ports, and build Taiwan into Asia’s rising star for in-depth, memorable cruise travel experiences.”
The success of the 9-day visit by Holland America and Seabourn itinerary was achieved through a multi-party effort, with TIPC making the invitations and organizing the itinerary, the Tourism Administration assisting with site-visit arrangements, and city and county government administrations in Keelung, Kaohsiung, Hualien and Tainan providing tourism materials and introductions to area attractions. Efforts such as this highlight the commitment of Taiwan, from the highest to lowest levels of government, to expand the country’s connections to, and position within, the international cruise travel market.
Provided by：Harbor Operation Management Dept., TIPC
Contact Person：Ta-wei Wu, Manager
Telephone No.：886-7-521900#3350
E-mail Address：T03159@twport.com.tw
Image 1. Seabourn Manager for Deployment Planning & Analysis Jeff Shieh (3rd from left), Holland America Travel Product Manager Madeleine Ninness (5th from left), Holland America Deployment & Itinerary Planning Manager Chris Bacon (6th from left), and others tour Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal, welcomed by TIPC President Chin-jung Wang (4th from left) and representatives of Kaohsiung City
Image 2. Holland America Travel Product Manager Madeleine Ninness (4th from left), Seabourn Manager for Deployment Planning & Analysis Jeff Shieh (5th from left), Holland America Deployment & Itinerary Planning Manager Chris Bacon (3rd from right), and other delegates visit an indigo dyeing experience workshop
Image 3. Cruise delegation visiting an indigenous village in Hualien County during their TIPC-arranged itinerary
