Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, président du Conseil européen de la croisière (ECC) a appelé lors de la convention SeaTrade Med, à Marseille, à une simplification de la délivrance des visas de tourisme pour stimuler la demande des passagers non européens, il a rappellé l'impact économique du marché des croisières et de l'industrie nautique sur l'économie, l'emploi (315000 emplois annuels), la construction navale (12 milliard d'euros d'investissement), et les dépenses des croisièristes qui se sont élevées à 12 milliards d'euros en 2011.
"L'Europe a un potentiel énorme pour attirer des croisiéristes issus d'autres régions du monde (...). Mais cet énorme potentiel est entravé par des procédures bureaucratiques inutiles en matière de délivrance de visas d'entrée pour les touristes", a déclaré , dans son discours d'ouverture.
Il a souhaité "une action internationale visant à faciliter et à simplifier" ces procédures, saluant la récente initiative de l'Union européenne en ce sens.
voici son discours
Seatrade Med
Marseille, 27 November 2012
Speech by Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, ECC Chairman
Bonjour Mesdames et Messieurs, je suis très honore d’etre ici à Marseille, ville centrale de l’industrie de la croisière en Europe.
I will now continue in English as this is the official Language of Seatrade Mediterranean :
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to start with looking at 2012 : a unique year for the Cruise Industry
1) We lived an extraordinary event with the tragic grounding of the Costa Concordia.
2) The industry came together in an unprecedented way to learn from the incident and managed to launch 10 new policies through the Operational Safety Review.
3) The industry proved, once again its resilience and appeal by managing to fill its ships, ECC members launched 8 new ships and have increased the offer with always more diverse and sophisticated itineraries and products .
The cruise industry’s number one priority has always been and remains the safety of it passengers and crew, and the industry has been determined and fully committed to learning the lessons of this unprecedented incident.
While the industry continues to be fully involved with the IMO on passenger ship safety issues, the ECC is also working closely with the European Union institutions – Commission, Council and Parliament- and it is indeed encouraging that against the background of the industry’s own credible actions that they have taken a measured and responsible approach, and avoided any ill-considered reactions.
It should be mentioned in this regard that as we meet this morning the latest of the industry policies – on the Location of Lifejacket Stowage and on Bridge
Harmonization Procedures – are being presented and discussed at the IMO’s key body,vthe Maritime Safety Committee, as part of its robust work programme
addressing all areas relevant to passenger ship safety.
As mentioned, the industry has never been more united than in 2012. The European cruise industry is an integral part of the global cruise industry and
the ongoing, positive process of globalization. Reflecting this evolution of our sector, considerable thought has been given by cruise lines over the last year as to how in these changing time the industry can most effectively and consistently represent itself globally and regionally both from regulatory and broader
communications stand point.
The growing globalization of our industry is working hand in hand with the growing importance of the economic impact of the industry itself. You have heard these impressive numbers already but it is worth repeating them.
1) The number of direct and indirect jobs generated by the cruise sector is now well over 315.000. France, Italy and Spain account for some 143.000 of this
total. Whit the current unemployment levels in Southern Europe this is a remarkable achievement .
2) The overwhelming majority of the world’s state of the art cruise ships are built in European shipyards. These yards will deliver 24 cruise vessels up to 2016 with a combined capacity of over 67.000 passengers and representing a total investment of the cruise industry of over €12 billion. Last year, the €1.9bn in expenditures in France and Italy accounted for 50% of the cruise industry’s total expenditures for shipbuilding and refurbishment among all European yards.
3) The cruise industry’s role in regenerating the increasing number of destinations and regions it serves. Some €3.5 billion were spent by passengers and crew during visits to the 250 ports cities that welcomed cruise ships last year. It is notable that expenditure from cruise tourism goes directly into the local economy, with some 80% of this expenditure typically going into the surrounding destination and 20% to the port . Actual expenditures of course can vary between destinations – the better the offer and more satisfied the cruise tourists are the more they spend.
4) Cruise tourism can have particularly positive and immediate impacts on parts of Southern Europe which are especially suffering from a severe economic downturn. In this regard, 168 ships were deployed in the Mediterranean this year, offering over 220.000 lower berths, with some 14mn cruise passenger visits to French, Italian and Spanish ports of call in 2011. The region is firmly established as the major cruise market in Europe and the second most important destination in the world after the Caribbean .
Looking at the growth pattern of this industry we see that:
1) The number of people who chose a cruise holiday in Europe has more than doubled in the past decade to over 5.6mn passengers. The cruise sector brings into Europe some 1mn non European nationals who clearly make a significant economic contribution to hard pressed national economies, a fact consistent with the EU deciding that boosting inbound tourist must be a key element of its strategy for a European recovery.
2) While there is scope to increase the number of Europeans taking a cruise, with the increasing wealth of emerging economies the opportunity to attract more cruise tourists from the developing countries is of incalculable value thanks to Europe’s unique and rich cultural heritage. And also thanks to the fact that cruising represents a sustainable and uniquely convenient option to visit multiple European countries.
Just imagine the potential in which the developed countries represent only 15% of the world’s population. As I have said on past occasions, to operate viably in this part of the world does depend on Europe continuing to be a good place to do business.We need a regulatory regime which allows this to happen. While safety and environmental matters are clearly top of the political agenda, there are many other issues such as tax, port policy, health and hygiene, consumer and labour affairs and visa policy which have a direct bearing on the economic viability of the sector. In all cases because we enjoy a constructive dialogue with the EU institutions, who recognize the important economic and social contribution made by the industry make in Europe, I am optimistic we will secure a supportive regulatory environment. For example we are concerned that the huge potential of the cruise industry is being hampered by unnecessarily bureaucratic procedures for the issuing of tourist visas into Europe. We are thus calling on the policymakers to help us unlocking this potential asking them to simplify the process of issuing tourist visas to cruise passengers from around the world wishing to come to experience a European cruise.
It is encouraging that the EU institutions, notably Commission Vice President Tajani, has recognized the urgent need for action in this area as part of its EU strategy to encourage in bound tourism and, while noting the legal complexities, it is very much to be hoped that there is the political will to make progress in this area in 2013. Easing VISA issuance is even more critical in a moment in which the continuing crisis in Europe, and its double dip recession, coupled with uncertainties with the future of the US economy, as well as signs of slower growth in the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – could well have a negative impact on our sector going forward. Last but not least, we also need to take into consideration the tangible risk of price increases in the competitive cost of cruising due to the increase in fuel prices, as from 2015, as a result of the introduction of international and EU legislation.
Thanking you for the attention, I would like to close this brief introduction by saying that I was personally very honored yesterday evening to present Pier Luigi Foschi with a gift on behalf of the ECC Board as recognition of this key role in establishing the ECC and launching it to its current success during his Chairmanship for the first three years of its existence.
Thank you for the attention and I wish you all a very productive conference.
"L'Europe a un potentiel énorme pour attirer des croisiéristes issus d'autres régions du monde (...). Mais cet énorme potentiel est entravé par des procédures bureaucratiques inutiles en matière de délivrance de visas d'entrée pour les touristes", a déclaré , dans son discours d'ouverture.
Il a souhaité "une action internationale visant à faciliter et à simplifier" ces procédures, saluant la récente initiative de l'Union européenne en ce sens.
voici son discours
Seatrade Med
Marseille, 27 November 2012
Speech by Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, ECC Chairman
Bonjour Mesdames et Messieurs, je suis très honore d’etre ici à Marseille, ville centrale de l’industrie de la croisière en Europe.
I will now continue in English as this is the official Language of Seatrade Mediterranean :
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to start with looking at 2012 : a unique year for the Cruise Industry
1) We lived an extraordinary event with the tragic grounding of the Costa Concordia.
2) The industry came together in an unprecedented way to learn from the incident and managed to launch 10 new policies through the Operational Safety Review.
3) The industry proved, once again its resilience and appeal by managing to fill its ships, ECC members launched 8 new ships and have increased the offer with always more diverse and sophisticated itineraries and products .
The cruise industry’s number one priority has always been and remains the safety of it passengers and crew, and the industry has been determined and fully committed to learning the lessons of this unprecedented incident.
While the industry continues to be fully involved with the IMO on passenger ship safety issues, the ECC is also working closely with the European Union institutions – Commission, Council and Parliament- and it is indeed encouraging that against the background of the industry’s own credible actions that they have taken a measured and responsible approach, and avoided any ill-considered reactions.
It should be mentioned in this regard that as we meet this morning the latest of the industry policies – on the Location of Lifejacket Stowage and on Bridge
Harmonization Procedures – are being presented and discussed at the IMO’s key body,vthe Maritime Safety Committee, as part of its robust work programme
addressing all areas relevant to passenger ship safety.
As mentioned, the industry has never been more united than in 2012. The European cruise industry is an integral part of the global cruise industry and
the ongoing, positive process of globalization. Reflecting this evolution of our sector, considerable thought has been given by cruise lines over the last year as to how in these changing time the industry can most effectively and consistently represent itself globally and regionally both from regulatory and broader
communications stand point.
The growing globalization of our industry is working hand in hand with the growing importance of the economic impact of the industry itself. You have heard these impressive numbers already but it is worth repeating them.
1) The number of direct and indirect jobs generated by the cruise sector is now well over 315.000. France, Italy and Spain account for some 143.000 of this
total. Whit the current unemployment levels in Southern Europe this is a remarkable achievement .
2) The overwhelming majority of the world’s state of the art cruise ships are built in European shipyards. These yards will deliver 24 cruise vessels up to 2016 with a combined capacity of over 67.000 passengers and representing a total investment of the cruise industry of over €12 billion. Last year, the €1.9bn in expenditures in France and Italy accounted for 50% of the cruise industry’s total expenditures for shipbuilding and refurbishment among all European yards.
3) The cruise industry’s role in regenerating the increasing number of destinations and regions it serves. Some €3.5 billion were spent by passengers and crew during visits to the 250 ports cities that welcomed cruise ships last year. It is notable that expenditure from cruise tourism goes directly into the local economy, with some 80% of this expenditure typically going into the surrounding destination and 20% to the port . Actual expenditures of course can vary between destinations – the better the offer and more satisfied the cruise tourists are the more they spend.
4) Cruise tourism can have particularly positive and immediate impacts on parts of Southern Europe which are especially suffering from a severe economic downturn. In this regard, 168 ships were deployed in the Mediterranean this year, offering over 220.000 lower berths, with some 14mn cruise passenger visits to French, Italian and Spanish ports of call in 2011. The region is firmly established as the major cruise market in Europe and the second most important destination in the world after the Caribbean .
Looking at the growth pattern of this industry we see that:
1) The number of people who chose a cruise holiday in Europe has more than doubled in the past decade to over 5.6mn passengers. The cruise sector brings into Europe some 1mn non European nationals who clearly make a significant economic contribution to hard pressed national economies, a fact consistent with the EU deciding that boosting inbound tourist must be a key element of its strategy for a European recovery.
2) While there is scope to increase the number of Europeans taking a cruise, with the increasing wealth of emerging economies the opportunity to attract more cruise tourists from the developing countries is of incalculable value thanks to Europe’s unique and rich cultural heritage. And also thanks to the fact that cruising represents a sustainable and uniquely convenient option to visit multiple European countries.
Just imagine the potential in which the developed countries represent only 15% of the world’s population. As I have said on past occasions, to operate viably in this part of the world does depend on Europe continuing to be a good place to do business.We need a regulatory regime which allows this to happen. While safety and environmental matters are clearly top of the political agenda, there are many other issues such as tax, port policy, health and hygiene, consumer and labour affairs and visa policy which have a direct bearing on the economic viability of the sector. In all cases because we enjoy a constructive dialogue with the EU institutions, who recognize the important economic and social contribution made by the industry make in Europe, I am optimistic we will secure a supportive regulatory environment. For example we are concerned that the huge potential of the cruise industry is being hampered by unnecessarily bureaucratic procedures for the issuing of tourist visas into Europe. We are thus calling on the policymakers to help us unlocking this potential asking them to simplify the process of issuing tourist visas to cruise passengers from around the world wishing to come to experience a European cruise.
It is encouraging that the EU institutions, notably Commission Vice President Tajani, has recognized the urgent need for action in this area as part of its EU strategy to encourage in bound tourism and, while noting the legal complexities, it is very much to be hoped that there is the political will to make progress in this area in 2013. Easing VISA issuance is even more critical in a moment in which the continuing crisis in Europe, and its double dip recession, coupled with uncertainties with the future of the US economy, as well as signs of slower growth in the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – could well have a negative impact on our sector going forward. Last but not least, we also need to take into consideration the tangible risk of price increases in the competitive cost of cruising due to the increase in fuel prices, as from 2015, as a result of the introduction of international and EU legislation.
Thanking you for the attention, I would like to close this brief introduction by saying that I was personally very honored yesterday evening to present Pier Luigi Foschi with a gift on behalf of the ECC Board as recognition of this key role in establishing the ECC and launching it to its current success during his Chairmanship for the first three years of its existence.
Thank you for the attention and I wish you all a very productive conference.
Consultez la source sur Veille info tourisme: Croisières le Président du Conseil européen des croisières rappelle limpact économique du marché des croisières sur lemploi et lindustrie et appelle à une simplification des procédures de visa
