Costa signs Shanghai cruise consultancy deal
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Shanghai International Port Group has signed up leading European cruise operator, Costa Cruises, to jointly set up China’s first customer service and consulting firm targeting the cruise sector, Shanghai Daily has reported.
The contract was signed on Friday night in Genoa by Costa’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pier Luigi Foschi, and SIPG Chairman, Lu Haigu.
The joint venture aims to provide consulting service support to Chinese travel agents, as well as champion the sales of Costa cruise packages in China and around the world, according to a statement issued on Friday. The scope of the joint venture includes commercial consulting, tourist information consulting, and cruise and passenger shipping information consulting, the report added.
Foschi said he was confident the new joint venture would support the Chinese cruise tourism market.
“China’s cruise market has undoubtedly an important growth potential and Shanghai is playing an important role in this sector due to its role of a main port and economic centre for China,” the Costa chief said. “As the first international cruise operator to enter the Chinese market more than two years ago, we are definitely committed to China,” he added.
SIPG’s Lu praised Costa for being “the pioneer of the cruise industry in China”.
“With more than 60 years of international cruise holiday experience, Costa is crucial to the future development of the Chinese and Shanghai’s cruise tourism industry,” Lu added.
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