Costa hits 1m bookings mark five weeks early
Costa Cruises has topped the record figure of one million bookings for the year’s cruises some five weeks earlier than in 2007.
The one million mark was reached on June 10, 37 days earlier than last year.
The Italian line expects to end 2008 with a passenger increase of six per cent over the 1.1 million carried last year.
The target is to reach 1.5 million passengers in 2010, representing growth of more than 35% in three years.
This is supported by a major fleet expansion programme comprising five new ships due for delivery by 2012, worth a total of €2.4 billion.
The addition of these new ships will lead to a 50% increase in the capacity of the fleet, which will be 17-strong in four year’s time with berths for 46,400 passengers.
Costa chairman and CEO Pier Luigi Foschi said: “Thanks to the healthy trend in our global sales, reflecting the increasing popularity of our product we have done even better than last year, when we celebrated the record of one million customers, set in mid-July, for the first time in Europe.
“This is a truly excellent performance, which consolidates and confirms our position as Europe’s number one cruise line and rewards the efforts of the 15,000-plus people who work for Costa Cruises.â€
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers