Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING APR 2019 52 JAPAN T he 2008 collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers, which sparked the global financial crisis, had little impact on the cruise industry, which has continued to grow impressively. The number of people using cruise ships globally reached 27 million in 2018, creating an economic ripple effect of US$125 billion. This has been supported by the new wealthy class as well as the casual demographic. As the size of ships has increased, the unit price per customer has fallen, meaning cruises are no longer a luxury out of reach for the wider population. If we look at the domestic Japanese market, the number of port calls for large passenger ships continues to increase year-on-year. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT), 2018 was a record year with 2,928 port calls. There were 2.44 million foreign visitors to Japan, even with a 3.3% decrease from the formerly hot China/Shanghai market. In terms of country of departure, China is still the top of the list with 961 trips. REGIONAL REVITALIZATION The benefits of cruise ships are obvious. They bring multiple tourists at once to a port and local consumption of dining and shopping flourishes. Further, prosperity in the region is fueled by foreign tourists visiting these destinations. Yoshikazu Terao, Planning Manager of Hanshin International Port Co., Ltd. states, “The luxury liners of today have come a long way from the days of the Titanic and the models have changed, offering more affordable trips. “But even with the affordable price, passengers can still enjoy onboard hotels, casinos and bars as well as shows. In other words, they are basically small-scale MICE. This is a Japanese ship, so all casino games are just for fun. Even so, it is usual for 40 to 50 people tobe enjoying this space from its opening at 18:00 each day to its closing at midnight. IAG paid a visit to Japanese luxury liner Asuka II