Crystal Espirit (Crystal Cruises Photo)

Montserrat Heading to Cruise Conference

Montserrat will participate in the upcoming ‘Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference and Tradeshow’, scheduled to take place November 5 th to 9 th , 2018 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Montserrat’s participation this year comes after a 10-year absence and is a collaborative effort as part of the twinning initiative between the Government of Montserrat and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.

The FCCA Conference brings together over 100 cruise executives and 1,000 industry stakeholders. It is aimed at fostering a better understanding of the inner workings of the cruise industry, while at the same time, providing an opportunity for attendees to improve their cruise tourism business.

The Montserrat delegation will be headed by Premier, the Honourable, Donaldson Romeo along with the Tourism Division’s Product Development Officer, Rosetta West-Gerald and Marketing Officer, Cherise Aymer, as well as a representative from Travel World International.

Crystal Espirit (Crystal Cruises Photo)

The purpose of Montserrat’s attendance is to encourage cruise lines to make Montserrat a port of call in their 2021 cruise schedule. The Tourism Division anticipates that this will spin off towards increased ferry day-trip numbers, as some of the large cruise lines that dock in Antigua, depart as late as 8:00 p.m. which is ideal for Montserrat to target.

Premier Romeo will also engage in one-to-one meetings with key cruise line officials, during which the proposed Port Development will be a major focus, as well as promoting Montserrat’s unique shore excursions.
While at the FCCA conference, the Tourism Division staff will be distributing marketing collateral including brochures, answering queries and informing the attendees about packages to include visit to the Cultural Centre, the National Trust, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, hiking tours, snorkeling and diving tours, Jack Boy Hill, Garibaldi Hill and the star attraction, the modern-day Pompeii, Plymouth.

The Tourism Division will be sharing a booth with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority at the FCCA conference. The contingent will have the opportunity to interface with many cruise executives, suppliers and tour operators.