Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA)

FCCA Conference and Trade Show Workshops Focus on Maximizing Cruise Tourism's Benefits

Philipsburg, St. Maarten (October 8, 2014) - Workshops are in full swing at the FCCA Conference & Trade Show. With panels comprised of FCCA Member Line cruise executives, presidents and CEOs, along with knowledgeable stakeholders, workshops share valuable insight on the numerous facets of the industry and how to maximize its benefits.

Workshops began yesterday as attendees learned how to apply lessons from St. Maarten's success as a cruise destination-its growth from a tender port to porting mega ships as a cruise tourism hub because of its government's unified vision, collaboration with a resilient private sector, and continual product development, innovation and rebranding.

"Port St. Maarten and the entire destination constantly work to fulfill the needs of the cruise lines and passengers," shared Mark Mingo, CEO, Port St. Maarten, and workshop speaker. "We want to showcase these efforts not to chronicle our success, but to help our neighboring destinations attract more cruise calls so the region as a whole can grow."

Today features cruise line presidents and CEOs as they head a roundtable discussion to share their lines' latest happenings and future developments. They will also address vetted questions that concern attendees' destinations and operations.

"I look forward to interacting with cruise tourism's key stakeholders," said Adam Goldstein, president & COO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and roundtable speaker. "This is a valuable opportunity for regional destinations and operators to learn how they are being affected by and can take advantage of the industry's latest developments."

Other workshops throughout the event will focus on the steps of creating and evolving a successful tour product, as well as maintaining that success, and the process of developing a cruise port, including why and how cruise lines invest in a destination/port; the benefits of collaborating with the FCCA, cruise lines, and private and public sectors; and the economic impact.

The workshops are just one way the FCCA Conference & Trade Show lets attendees learn about the cruise industry and how to maximize its benefits. The event, the biggest cruise conference and trade show in the Caribbean and Latin America, gathered over 1,000 cruise industry stakeholders and 100 FCCA Member Line executives, presidents and CEOs for a four-day agenda that balances business sessions and networking opportunities, optimizing chances to target key cruise line decision makers while exchanging information, sharing ideas and forging relationships.

Created in 1972, the FCCA is a not-for-profit trade organization that provides a forum for discussion on tourism development, ports, safety, security, and other cruise industry issue and builds bilateral relationships with destinations' private and public sectors. By fostering an understanding of the cruise industry and its operating practices, the FCCA works with governments, ports and private sector representatives to maximize cruise passenger, crew and cruise line spending, as well as enhance the destination experience and increase the amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors. For more information, visit F-CCA.com, the FCCA on Facebook, and @FCCAupdates on Twitter

Created in 1972, the FCCA is a not-for-profit trade organization that provides a forum for discussion on tourism development, ports, safety, security, and other cruise industry issues and builds bilateral relationships with destinations’ private and public sectors. By fostering an understanding of the cruise industry and its operating practices, the FCCA works with governments, ports and private sector representatives to maximize cruise passenger, crew and cruise line spending, as well as enhance the destination experience and increase the amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors. For more information, visit F-CCA.com and @FCCAupdates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.