Cozumel Likely to Boost Cruise Business Following FCCA Conference

If the past is any indication, Cozumel is more than likely to boost its cruise business in the aftermath of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Cruise Conference & Trade Show, which it will host for a second time Oct. 5 to 9.

“From triple-digit increases in passenger arrivals to developing new cruise destinations, hosts of the FCCA Conference & Trade Show have directly benefited from spotlighting their products to some of the industry's most influential decision makers," said Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation and the FCCA. “We are excited to bring this event back to Cozumel, Mexico to again actualize the event's benefits while displaying the destination's progress since the last event and continued commitment to cruise tourism.”

In the case of Cozumel, the numbers speak for themselves. When the destination hosted the conference in 2007, it experienced a 21 percent increase in passenger arrivals the following year. Passenger arrivals in Mexico, meanwhile, increased by 10 percent year over year.

Passenger spending also rose significantly following the FCCA conference in Cozumel, with an average per-person expenditure of $104.58 in 2008, representing a 17 percent increase over per person expenditures in 2007, according to a Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Destination Economics study conducted by Business Research and Economic Advisors.

Since 2007, Cozumel cruise numbers have continued to rise, with the destination welcoming 3.3 million passengers last year sailing on FCCA-member lines.

Source: Travel Pulse