From spring 2017, AIDA Cruises, Germany’s leading cruise line, will deploy one AIDA ship in China all year round to offer cruises from Shanghai for the Chinese market. The company announced this move at the China Cruise Shipping Conference, an annual industry gathering which took place this year for the 10th time in Shanghai.

“Through AIDA’s continuous growth, we have turned Germany into the second largest cruise market in the world. With our Costa brand, we have been working as pioneers in China since 2006 and were the first international shipping company to develop the cruise market there. Enlarging our product portfolio on the fastest-growing market in the world is a strategic step for the further successful development of Costa and AIDA”, said Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa Group.

AIDA President Felix Eichhorn commented: “We are proud to be providing further important momentum for the emerging Chinese market. AIDA will acquire large numbers of new guests and customers for this still young market with its lifestyle-oriented and innovative products made in Germany. At the same time, we will continue to largely determine the rapid pace of growth on the German market in the future with our four new vessels to be commissioned by 2020.”

Michael Ungerer, former AIDA President, took over as Chief Operations Officer of Carnival Asia in Shanghai on September 1, 2015. For more than 17 years, he was involved in leading positions – ultimately as President – in developing AIDA Cruises into one of the most successful cruise markets in Europe. With his experience, he will make a valuable contribution to realizing AIDA plans for growth in China.

“My team and I are happy to welcome AIDA. The innovative German cruise line will not only broaden the variety of cruise products by meeting the growing demand, but as well strengthen our leading position on the Chinese and Asian market”, says Buhdy Bok, President Costa Group Asia.

The company will announce further details of the deployment of an AIDA ship on the Chinese market at a later date.