Perspectives and Consolidation

Perspectives for the maritime cruise ship market in Brazil are extremely promising, although seasonable. Researches indicate that 65% of cruise ship passengers are taking the trip for the first time in their lives. The enchantment of the first trip is a key factor to stimulate the wish to travel again on a cruise ship, which calls for market expansion every season.

Besides that, there is a huge contingent of Brazilians that dream of traveling on a ship. And maritime cruises are growingly popular, mainly due to easier payment terms offered by operators and also due to the creation of mini-cruises, a 3 to 4-day trip, which becomes extremely accessible to a large share of Brazilian population.

The Brazilian coastline is also extremely attractive in terms of tourism, in addition to a nice climate all year long: a key factor to eliminate seasonability of maritime cruises.

The cruise market is expanding not only in Brazil, but all over the world. Liners with larger passenger capacity contribute decisively to enable more and more tourists to travel by ship. In Brazil, the market started to be worked more vigorously after 1995. There is, therefore, a lot to be developed and entrepreneurs get mobilized to promote constant growth of the activity.

Concais got involved in the activity of operating maritime cruises with a long term vision and today it has consolidated its position as the largest and most modern Maritime Passenger Terminal in South America.

The long term perspective stimulates the company to keep a terminal expansion plan for each new season, always with the purpose of anticipating needs and the growing demand of passengers and ships.

Investments carried out since 1998 have leveraged the Brazilian industry of maritime cruises.As a special year, in 2007 investments allowed the Concais terminal to expand the operational areas from 11,800 m² to 19,500 m², a 65% expansion. And the supporting area of 18,000 m² - space designed to provide logistic support for the flow of buses, transfer and private vehicles – was totally paved.

Giusfredo Santini Terminal – Concais started its operations in 1998, using an area of 4,500 m² and today it occupies spades of 41,500 m².

Until 2011, over R$ 17 million will be invested on expansions.