ACE to form global trade organisation
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ACE, the Association of Cruise Experts, has announced that it, and the PSA, are to form a new global trade organisation, along with nine other industry bodies.
The new organisation will be made of Cruise Lines International (CLIA), European Cruise Council, Asia Cruise Association, France’s AFCC, Brazil’s ABREMAR, the Northwest and Canada Cruise Association, Alaska Cruise Association and International Cruise Council Australasia.
“We are now truly one industry with one voice” said Howard Frank, CLIA global executive committee chairman. “Given the tremendous growth and continuing globalisation of the cruise industry, this evolution addresses the need to speak and act globally with a unified voice while recognising the importance of local relationships. The new association will play a vital role in proactively shaping the policy and regulatory environments on a global level and promoting cruising with various constituencies through more effective coordination, communication and stakeholder engagement.”
The new body will represent a global industry worth around US$100 billion with a global employment span of 753,000 and be able to offer a united voice. ACE and the PSA will now form a body called CLIA-UK and retain its London office.
PSA Director Bill Gibbons said “We have seen tremendous growth and success in the cruise industry since the PSA was formed in 1958 with the objective of promoting passenger travel by sea. Cruising now touches every continent and having one unified global organisation will be the natural next step in our development to ensure the industry is represented in a cohesive manner, as it continues to grow both in the UK and worldwide.”
ACE Director Andy Harmer added “ACE will become part of the new entity known as CLIA-UK with the same responsibilities to those that it has today. This includes providing online and offline cruise training and resources, and organising events such as the ACE Cruise Convention and River Cruise Expo. We also plan to export some of the outstanding work done by ACE and other cruise associations providing travel agent training and promotional activities into new and emerging markets.”
Christine Duffy, who will serve as President and CEO of the new association said: “There are immediate and longer term benefits from the new association that are extensive and wide ranging. It enables us to better leverage our members’ and partners’ investment in association membership while strengthening the industry’s leadership globally on issues such as safety, security, the environment, sustainability and health. It also allows us to consolidate industry research and to leverage promotional events and marketing communication to facilitate greater consumer interest in cruising.”