Page 48: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2020)

CRUISE SHIPPING THE BRAZIL MARKET

Brazil Market Gains Momentum

By Claudio Paschoa fter years of stagnation, the Portobelo, Cabo Frio, Recife, Angra dos the ships offer 531,121 beds, along 144

Brazilian Cruise Market is Reis, Maceio , Ubatuba and Fortaleza. routes and 575 port stops. There already again starting to show some The list is complete with the news of the is a forecast that there will definitely be

Asigns of growth. Since the season, Itajaí, in Santa Catarina, which 8 ships for the 2020/2021 season.

2012/2013 season, a continuous reduc- once again is receiving ships and will Business opportunities generated by tion in the flow of cruises along the have departures and arrivals. “If esti- cruises are not restricted only to ports

Brazilian coast led to a decrease in the mates are confirmed, this season will be cities, but also to other cities, which number of ships and consequent lower the third consecutive period of growth, may not even be located in coastal ar- supply of beds and routes, amid a drop after five consecutive seasons of retrac- eas. This is due to details concerning the in the number of passengers embarked. tion. The sector generated $483.4 for local productive chain, which contracts

This decrease was due to the unfavor- the national economy in the 2018/2019 services and purchases products in dif- able moment that the local economy was season. It is expected that in 2019/2020 ferent regions of Brazil, in addition to facing and the consequent reduction in this impact will be $510.5 million,” said cruise and tour sales, which are mostly local guests. During the 2018/2019 sea- Marco Ferraz, president of CLIA Brazil. done by travel agents spread across the son, seven ships operated on the coast The number of ships in the Brazil- country. The cruise industry generates for 841 days (5.4% more than the pre- ian cruise season started reducing in economic impacts through expenses vious season), carrying a total number 2011/2012 until reaching seven ves- incurred by travelers, crew and by ship of approximately 462,000 passengers. sels in 2016/2017, number maintained owners during the cruise season in Bra-

The 2019/2020 cruise season is in full in the current season. The industry has zil.

swing and it is going to be a longer sea- been continuously reacting by increas- With the objective of expanding port son. The first ship to dock on the Bra- ing the efficiency of ships and routes, infrastructure for cruise tourists, the zilian coast was the MSC Fantasia, on by increasing the average number of Minister of Tourism, Marcelo Álvaro

November 15, in Salvador, and the last cruisers per ship per season and recently Antonio, announced in August that the will be the Costa Fascinosa, on April 14 by renovating cruise ship ports and bet- BNDES (National Bank for Economic in Santos for an eight-day Easter Cruise; tering port services. In early 2019 there and Social Development) is studying the first time that Brazil will have an were expectations that there would be 8 the viability of making available a credit

Easter Cruise. Despite this short-term ships for this season, but is the end MSC line to build 15 ports in Brazil, many recovery, the Brazilian market is still pulled one ship to home port in Buenos of which may be dedicated cruise ports a long way behind its peak of 805,000 Aires, Argentina. during the cruise season. passengers back in the 2011/12 season. For this season, MSC brought the That would be very important because

Yet, the new government is supporting Seaview (the largest and most mod- there are very few ports in Brazil with the local cruise industry. “We want ports ern vessel to sail in Brazilian waters), modern and efficient infrastructure ca- specifically built for tourists. It´s not ac- Symphony, Fantasy and Poetry, in ad- tering to the cruise industry. “We expect ceptable any more to receive passengers dition to MSC Musica, (Not counted cruise travel to increase by 6% in the in between containers,” said the Minis- as part of the Brazil fleet as it departs 2019/2020 season, which would rep- ter of Tourism, Marcelo Álvaro Antonio from Buenos Aires, Argentina), but the resent the third consecutive period of

The longer, 2019-2020 season will MSC Musica will have stops in Brazil. growth in Brazil. To keep up with this have 928 days of navigation to desti- The Italian shipping company Costa rapid growth, Brazil has taken signifi- nations much desired by local and for- operates the Pacifica and Fascinosa, cant steps to receive ships in new ports, eign tourists alike, with Rio de Janeiro, and Pullmantur offers trips aboard the increasing capacity and improving the

Santos, Búzios, Salvador, Ilha Grande, Sovereign - chartered by CVC Tours. overall experience for travelers,” said

Ilhabela, Ilhéus, Balneario Camboriú, Together (Including the MSC Musica), Marco Ferraz.

48 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • March 2020

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