By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has expanded its European resources, following the unification of nine cruise industry associations into one global cruise association in December 2012.
The Dutch Cruise Council (DCC), CLIA UK and Ireland have all joined the newly established global structure. The DCC has 16 member cruise lines and was formed in 2009. It is the tenth cruise association to join the group and will operate as CLIA Netherlands.
The French cruise association (AFCC) will become CLIA France in spring 2014. In order to capitalise on the German cruise market which has grown significantly in recent years with the number of passengers increasing from 1.2 million in 2010 to 1.4 million in 2011, CLIA is also developing CLIA Germany. In addition, the group intends to establish cruise councils in Italy and Spain.
“Europe is an important market for the cruise industry because of its diverse and breathtakingly beautiful destinations that are rich in cultural heritage and offer something for every traveller,” said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA. “As we focus on ensuring the cruise industry speaks with one voice, we are delighted to welcome the Dutch Cruise Council and the AFCC as part of CLIA, and we look forward to broadening the industry’s representation in key European markets as CLIA expands its presence in Germany, Italy and Spain.”
CLIA has appointed five new executives within the international organisation. “This is an exciting year for CLIA as we implement the association’s new global structure and putting the right talent in place is critical as we focus on delivering enhanced value to the global cruise industry while representing it internationally with one voice before numerous stakeholders,” said Duffy. “The appointments we are announcing today are strong additions to the CLIA team, and we look forward to their contributions as we build on the value we deliver to our members and partners.”
Robert Ashdown will succeed Tim Marking as the new secretary general for CLIA Europe on 1 March 2013. He will be responsible for all aspects of cruise industry affairs in Europe and will coordinate with CLIA’s global technical and regulatory team.
Didier Scaillet will serve as vice president, business development and will be responsible for CLIA’s associate member and executive partner programmes. Scaillet will manage a global research agenda, including economic impact studies, market profiling and key industry capacity development data.
Barbara Muckermann has been named as CLIA’s global communications advisor and will support the global association team with international communication schemes, including media relations and digital strategies. Muckermann will also help CLIA’s globalisation efforts.
The role of communications director at CLIA Europe has been assigned to Tomas Matesanz. He will assist with media relations, management of local public relations agencies in various countries, and implementation of CLIA’s global communications in Europe.
Rob Griffiths has assumed the role of director of technical and regulatory affairs, design and engineering within CLIA’s global technical and regulatory area. The team represents the global cruise industry before the International Maritime Organization and other maritime regulatory authorities. Griffiths will be responsible for shipboard operations, safety, environmental protection, and other cruise industry operational matters.