IN CONVERSATION WITH Mr Naresh Rawal

IN CONVERSATION WITHIN CONVERSATION WITH Mr Naresh Rawal Vice President –Sales (India & South Asia), Q. Year of redesigning business is what 2020 stands for many. Is it Genting Cruise Lines

true in case of Cruise Business as well. What’s the inside story?

Many will remember 2020 as a challenging year that has affected and changed the landscape of various industries, including the cruise sector due to the global pandemic. Cruise lines alike including Genting Cruise Lines had taken this valuable opportunity to rethink, redesign and enhance its safety and preventive measures to adapt to the new norm and age of traveling.

Q. Restart is on cards. How is cruise industry planning a new start?

Genting Cruise Lines has been at the forefront and was the first cruise line in the world to restart the cruise industry with successful safe pilot cruises by Dream Cruises, starting in Taiwan since July 2020 and subsequently in Singapore from November 2020 onwards. We were able to adapt and tailor made a deployment model with safety protocols that meet the requirements of different countries. This is crucial in order to create a sustainable and responsible traveling environment to gain the confidence of both the local authorities and consumers alike. For instance in Singapore, protocols are in place that include pre boarding and post cruise Antigen Rapid Test for all guests, ship operating at 50% capacity, ship equipped with an Infection Control Officer and a PCR machine for on board COVID-19 testing, on board social distancing and compulsory face mask wearing etc.

Q. Corporate Cruise Events are always a hit in MICE domain. Any strategy to entice them back quickly?

Rebuilding the travel and leisure industry, including the cruise industry is a collective effort from cruise lines to travel agents to local authorities, as we instil confidence and educate consumers across different target market segments, including the MICE sector. Developing the MICE sector will be a careful and gradual process due to the restrictions such as social distancing requirements, number of persons per group etc. As such, it’s important for cruise lines to work with local authorities closely to monitor the local situation and identify suitable and safe opportunities and timing to offer and conduct MICE events in the future.

Q. Any further plans and initiatives, you may add

As we head into 2021, we remain highly optimistic of the continued demand for cruises and with these steps in place, it will set the blue print for us to continue to work with various local authorities to resume safe pilot cruises in various countries in the not too distant future. Also, with the development and wider spread of distribution of vaccines in 2021, we hope it will build confidence among travellers - complemented by our enhanced and stringent safety protocols that are readily in place across our fleet.