Italian cruise operator Costa Crociere, controlled by US group Carnival, cut prices and saw a 25 per cent annual rise in bookings in April, recovering from the slump in sales triggered by the deadly Costa Concordia disaster earlier this year.
“The rise is an important sign,” managing director Gianni Onorato said yesterday on the sidelines of an event onboard the company’s new flagship vessel, Costa Fascinosa.
In January, the Costa Concordia hit a reef near the island of Giglio off the Tuscan coast, capsizing and killing at least 30 people. The incident shook the cruise industry. Mr Onorato said the fall in bookings after the tragedy had touched 50-60 per cent, and said part of the later rise in bookings was due to price reductions. – (Reuters)