The 28th FCCA Cruise Conference was successfully held in the city of Santo Domingo

Hundreds of delegates gathered in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic last week for what is described as a successful Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) 28th annual conference, which began Tuesday and concluded last Friday, with various activities , between conferences, meetings, negotiations and casual encounters between the participants.

In that regard, senior cruise executives from FCCA member lines were busy meeting with tourism representatives from the region’s public and private sectors, in an effort to improve the cruise tourism business and develop growth opportunities throughout the region. the region.

Michele Paige, executive director of the FCCA, said the conference represented a “fresh start” after a difficult pandemic, and she was encouraged to see “renewed enthusiasm for cruise tourism.”

“We are family and family always comes together. During the pandemic, we communicated a lot and even got stronger because of that communication…so it’s an exciting feeling that this is going to be better than ever,” she said Paige.

While challenges such as inflation, supply chain issues, and berthing capacity need to be addressed head-on, many destinations and cruise lines have reported a strong industry rebound, especially with the relaxation of health protocols. related to the pandemic.

Paige also shared that “the time is now” for Caribbean destinations to come up with creative customer-focused experiences for cruise lines to consider. “We need more products at destinations,” she said, explaining that shore excursions don’t need to cater only to large groups.

She suggested that tours that accommodate guests with as few as 10 passengers could fit the cruise industry’s bill, as well as experiences that cater to a variety of tastes, ranging from exclusive to budget.

“It’s the right time to be able to put things in their place, whether it’s a new walking tour, whether it’s a new adventure tour, whether it’s a person-to-person (experience). It’s education, it’s history and culture and this is what people want. This is what will make the destination shine.”