【Record】Mr. Roger Chen, Chairman of Carnival Group Asia delivers a speech at the forum of Tourism as a Catalyst for the Revitalization of the World Economy

Moderator: As for cruise ships, we all know that cruise tourism is mobile, but it was greatly affected during the epidemic. Mr. Chen Ranfeng is the Asian Chairman of Carnival Corporation & plc. May I ask you some questions? How will the cruise industry, including Carnival, face risks such as epidemics in the future? Just now, the president of the International Air Transport Association said that the planes are ready for epidemic prevention and the air in the plane was even cleaner than the air in the hospital operating room. So what is the recent response of the cruise ship? In addition, what are the new changes or development opportunities for the Asian cruise industry and the Chinese cruise market in the future?

Mr. Roger Chen, Chairman of Carnival Group Asia

Roger Chen: Thank you, Professor Wu. I am very glad that the organizing committee invited me to attend today's meeting. I feel honored as a representative of the cruise industry. Just now my friend in Tunisia also mentioned that Tunisia is a very good cruise destination. Carnival is the world's largest cruise group. We have about 45% of the market share and 9 brands. Costa Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival, is located in the Mediterranean region and has a great influence. It is also the first international cruise company to enter China, thus making certain contributions to the development of China's cruise industry. Carnival and China State Shipbuilding Corporation have set up a joint venture in China. We should not only use cruise ships in China, but also build large cruise ships to fill the gap in China's shipbuilding history.

The problem mentioned by Professor Wu just now is that the epidemic has really had a great impact on the cruise industry. In China, we have been "closed" for several months since the Spring Festival. As far as the global cruise industry is concerned, it has basically stopped operation since March, which is indeed unprecedented and has caused a huge impact on the cruise industry. In fact, cruise tourism is quite popular. I don't know how many friends here have already taken cruise ships. In fact, it is a series of "sea cities" integrating transportation, entertainment, catering, hotels, accommodation and shopping. It is very popular. In recent years, cruise tourism has developed vigorously in China and Asia at large. In 2013, the entire Asia-Pacific region accounted for only about 8% of the world's tourists, and by 2018 it had exceeded 13%, becoming the world's largest cruise source market except the Caribbean. In recent years, China's cruise ships have also developed rapidly, with a drop in 2019. But before 2019, the Chinese cruise ships registered a double-digit growth rate. The Chinese government also attaches great importance to the development of the cruise industry. The Ministry of Transport has issued a guidebook, hoping that by 2035, the number of cruise tourists in China will reach about 14 million. Then China should almost be the largest cruise market in the world. Whether it can be realized depends on the continuous efforts of all parties in the cruise industry.

I think at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, cruise ships also suffered a blow. Although the cruise industry has rich experience and a set of methods to prevent epidemics, COVID-19 is a new type of virus after all, so it was really hit at the beginning. However, I think cruise ships are still a very safe form of travel. It is not much different from hotels or other forms of tourism. After the outbreak, the cruise industry has also done a lot of work, studying the resumption plan, improving safety and quality, as well as innovating cruise products. We have done a lot of work with relevant government departments, cruise industry associations and medical experts to formulate new epidemic prevention standards, greatly improving the overall safety standards of the cruise industry. We have made many arrangements before, during and after the voyage. Before sailing, the cruise crew will undergo several nucleic acid tests before boarding the ship. At the same time, the crew will be isolated on shore and on board for a long time. Before cruise tourists board the ship, we would also examine the health status of tourists together with the port and adopt big data authentication methods such as identifying "health QR code". During the cruise trip, we have also strengthened temperature monitoring and disinfection, to ensure 100% fresh air system.

Moderator: With this experience, I believe cruise ships are a very safe way to spend their holidays.

Roger Chen: We have increased our investment in medical equipment and medical personnel, so cruise ships are a very safe form. There is also very good news. On September 6, Costa Cruises under Carnival resumed flights from Trieste, Italy, the city next to Venice. In another two weeks, it will resume flights from Genoa. The Italian brand AIDA Cruises will also resume flights from Europe. I believe the cruise industry is very resilient and has strong vitality. Thank you!

Moderator: Congratulations, today is a good time to announce such good news. You shared with us the development of the world cruise industry represented by Carnival and its re-launch after the epidemic.