Second Seatrade Winter Cruising Forum Adds Names to Speaker Lineup

Second Seatrade Winter Cruising Forum Adds Names to Speaker Lineup

Graeme Adams, VP - Voyage Planning, Port & Land Programs, SeaDream Yacht Club, Captain Vassilios Gazikas, Senior General Manager, Marine Operations, Louis Cruises and Giora Israel, Senior Vice President, Port & Destination Development, Carnival Corporation & plc have recently been added to the prestigious speaker lineup at the 2nd Seatrade Winter Cruising Forum, being held in less than seven weeks in Istanbul, Turkey.

The event’s conference will feature a timely focus on Turkey as a cruise tourism hub linking Europe to Asia. Port authority delegates at the meeting, organised by Izmir’s Chamber of Commerce, supported a proposal to form a ports association.

With higher fuel costs making it less economical to transport passengers to Caribbean cruise ports, the number of cruise ships plying Mediterranean waters in both summer and winter months over the next few years is likely to surge. The concept of winter cruising is not without challenges; sound itinerary planning and weather-proof shorex options are essential, but as more vessels are deployed out of traditional summer seasons, there is great scope for growth.

Numerous high-level itinerary planners and marine operations decision-makers are already scheduled to speak in Istanbul, with the recently announced additions bringing the total of cruise brands represented to thirteen. The event’s workshop sessions will give participating destinations an invaluable chance to meet one-to-one with speakers hosting workshop tables, all of whom are directly involved in deployment decisions for their brand.

The 2nd Seatrade Winter Cruising Forum will take place under the auspices of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Tura Turizm at the Cragan Palace Kempinski from 5-7 December 2011.