FCCA Partners with the U.S. Virgin Islands on Strategic Development Agreement
Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has partnered with the U.S. Virgin Islands on a strategic development agreement for 2022 that will focus on increasing the destination’s over- all economic impact from cruise tourism.
The agreement, coming from a directive by the FCCA Executive Committee, will feature access to key decision makers and their joint efforts with FCCA to fulfill the objectives, including increased cruise calls, new experiences and products, collaboration with the local private sector, more employment and purchasing opportunities, conversion of cruise guests to stay-over visitors, promotion of summer cruising, creation of consumer demand, travel agent outreach and more.
“This agreement is a further testament to the continued partnership that the U.S. Virgin Islands has had with FCCA and the cruise industry,” said Micky Arison, Chairman of FCCA and Carnival Corporation & plc. “The destination has supported cruising through the best and worst of times, and I am proud that this agreement will make it possible to better the lives and livelihoods of so many people there.”
“We are grateful for the U.S. Virgin Islands’ support through the pandemic, with this landmark agreement being more proof of their dedication to cruise tourism, and we cannot be more excited to reciprocate the faith they have shown in us and the industry by maximizing their bene- fits from the sector,” said Michele Paige, President, FCCA. “Through this agreement, the U.S. Virgin Islands will have FCCA’s full commitment to fulfilling the destination’s initiatives, including assisting the private sector and helping all locals prosper from the economic impact that the industry brings.”
After being a success story for Caribbean tourism in the wake of COVID-19, experiencing a banner year for stay-over tourism in 2021 and breaking numerous records, the U.S. Virgin Islands is looking to turn the page for their cruise tourism, which generated $184.7 million in total cruise tourism expenditures, in addition to $77.9 million in total employee wage income, during the 2017/2018 cruise year, according to the Business Research & Economic Advisors report “Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Destination Economies.”
“The U.S. Virgin Islands celebrates its steadfast partnership with FCCA and its Member Lines,” said USVI Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte. “Strategic marketing and collaborative programs promoting the allure of the cruise industry and our awe-inspiring islands are expected to provide the Territory with a spring- board for a speedy resumption, as we enter the endemic phase of Covid-19.”
Through the agreement, FCCA will not only guide the U.S. Virgin Islands government on enhancing their product and increasing cruise calls, but also will facilitate new experiences to offer cruise companies and collaborate with the local private sector to maximize any opportunities. Additionally, the agreement will put the U.S. Virgin Islands in the spotlight for the new and improved programs that FCCA has developed with focuses on employment, purchasing and converting cruise guests to stay-over visitors.
As a top-down initiative directed by the FCCA Executive Committee, which includes presidents and above of FCCA Member Lines, the new strategic partner- ship will grant open access for the U.S. Virgin Islands with these key decision makers and the Committee’s efforts to effectuate the agreement’s objectives and the destination’s goals.
Some of the other features of the strategic partnership will include promoting summer cruising, engaging travel agents, creating consumer demand and developing a destination service needs assessment that will detail strengths, opportunities and needs.
Building a Strategic Training Plan – How Important Is It?
One of the biggest challenges faced by destinations as cruise and tour- ism resumes involves the people responsible for the visitor experience.
With many returning to work after a long hiatus and many new to cruise and tourism, destinations are challenged to ensure excel- lent guest experiences are being delivered.
What plans can we put in place to help our teams elevate the visitor experience? What skills and knowledge do they need to develop? What gaps or new product opportunities have emerged that should be explored? Every destination’s needs are different, from cruise destination partners and tour operators to frontlines, tour guides and drivers. Service is now more important and more challenging than ever.
–how can we make certain that our tour- ism teams meet this challenge successfully?
The best answer lies in building a strategic training plan. To do that, there are many questions that need to be asked. For example:
• What type of training is offered presently in your destination, for frontlines, for tour guides, for drivers, and for vendors?
• What challenges exist with training for each of these groups?
• What gaps exist in the training and development presently offered for each of these groups?
• What training opportunities are offered to tour operators?
• What challenges exist in shore excursion operations in your destination?
• What gaps exist in shore excursion operations?
• Are there products and experiences offered in your destination that could benefit from being enhanced or reimagined?
• What gaps or needs can be determined based on the guest satisfaction ratings and feedback on your destination?
• What gaps or needs can be determined based on cruise line feed- back on your destination?
For over 12 years, the Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence has been helping destinations raise the level of excellence in their guest experiences.
We approach training by working with the port destination to build a training strategy that is sustainable and customized to meet its unique needs, including assisting with prioritizing, timelines, and meeting budgets for one or multi-year strategies.
A few recent examples of destinations we have worked with that have taken such a strategic approach are Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe Tourism, PROCOLOMBIA and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
Each of these destinations has invested in training in different ways and each has committed to prepare their teams for the growth ahead. Cayman started 2021 with training of drivers and tour guides and is currently determining how to build on that plan to include tour operators and product development for 2022.
Puerto Rico has a full training plan underway to prepare for the FCCA Caribbean Cruise Summit in San Juan in June, including training for front- lines, attractions, tour operators, tour guides and cruise readiness for their new emerging ports.
Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe and Colombia continue yearly investments in training of their teams. It is the destinations that make those crucial investments in yearly training strategies that will grow their tour- ism capacity in a sustainable way.
As part of the suite of benefits of the FCCA Platinum Membership program, a Service Needs Assessment for Building a Training Strategy with Aquila is offered at no charge for the duration of 2022.
At a time when destinations need visitor experiences to be second to none, training can give the people in the destination the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to deliver excellence. There is always a return when investing in your people and building a training strategy will ensure you maximize your investment. When your teams understand the benefits of cruise tourism, they are better prepared and eager to wow their cruise guests.
Beth Kelly Hatt is the President of Aquila’s Center for Cruise Excellence, the FCCA’s official training partner. Aquila’s approach to training is one of assessing the needs of a destination or operator and developing a strategic training plan that helps raise the level of excellence throughout the destination. Contact Beth for more information at Beth@CruiseExcellence.com.