Till 2005 End, We Will Be Increasing Our Distribution Across India: Saxena

Nishith Saxena (NS), country head-India, Princess Cruises and Trey Hickey (TH), director international sales and marketing, Princess Cruises in conversation with Charmaine Fernz, talk about cruising as a viable holiday option for the Indian traveller and the company’s India specific plans

Cruising as a trend is yet to fully catch on in the Indian market except for the Far East, what in your opinion should be done to tap this market?

TH: This phenomenon intrinsic to regional tourism is not exclusive only to the Indian market. Far East and South Eastern cruises are most popular among Indian passengers at this time as these are most affordable when packaged with the low air fares. In any market, it is always the mass market products which make the entry first to test the market and when the market is ready to accept the upmarket and more refined products, the premium brands enter the market to satisfy the demand thus created. We feel that all those passengers who have sailed in South East Asia on a shorter duration cruise are our potential passengers because of the vast choice of itineraries and ports of call which are offered by Princess. Princess is doing everything possible to tap India as a source market. If positioning a ship in South East Asia is needed in the scheme of things, I'm sure all options would be evaluated at the appropriate time.

What is the percentage of cruising in the global tourism scenario?

TH: Cruising constitutes approximately 15 per cent of all global tourism. Worldwide cruising is growing at a rate of eight per cent, whereas in India, the growth rate is 25 to 30 per cent each year.

What is Princess Cruises’ plan for the India market this year?

NS: We still feel that there is lot that needs to be done in this market. We find that the travel agent's perception about Princess Cruises has evolved a great deal and the brand is much more acceptable now than what it was four years back. We plan to continue our push in this market through aggressive pricing specific to India and joint promotional exercises focussing on our target audience in the travel trade and potential passengers. This may include some early booking promotional rates as well as group booking benefits.

What is the percentage of Indians that take a cruise and what were the numbers last year? What are your targets for 2004?

NS: Cruising is a relatively new vacation option and different segments of cruise vacations are now evolving. There is also a huge gap between the small number of Indian passengers who are opting for a cruise each year compared to the huge number passengers who opt for a land-based vacation in another country. This gap will reduce in the years to come, as more passengers are becoming aware of the benefits of a cruise vacation. However, the prime focus of our sales force is on high yield business, therefore we do not measure our success on how many Indian passengers sailed on our ships. More so, till the end of 2005, our focus is on increasing our distribution all over the country with a high-level service back up.

Are there special promotional packages for India?

NS: Keeping in mind the price sensitivity and competitive environment of the Indian market, we have offered some special prices for our seven day cruises in Alaska as well as 10 and 12-day cruises in Mediterranean and Europe this year. This ensures that Indian passengers recieve the best rates for the best itineraries on the best ships in these regions.

Who is your target market? What is the pricing you have deviced for Indian clientele?

NS: The target audience of Princess Cruises comprises of seasoned travellers, family groups and corporate executives. To ensure that each one of these get real value for money they spend on their cruise vacation, special pricing for Indian market has been introduced this year.