President, Costa Cruises, Costa Crociere S.p.A. (Costa Cruises)
Kreuzfahrt-Boom: Einblicke von Costa-Chef Zanetti
Als Bub stand er staunend im Hafen von Genua, heute leitet Mario Zanetti als Präsident von Costa selbst eine Reederei. Reise-Chef Axel Halbhuber sprach mit ihm über die hohe See und Schiffsreisen.
Transcript (27 segments)
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Axel0:08
Welcome to a Kurier Talk from the travel sector. My name is Axel. I always enjoy talking about travel, and there is a form of travel that is equally popular as it is sometimes controversial. There is a lot to say about it. We are talking about cruises, and I have someone with me who knows it well: Mario Zanetti, welcome. He is the president of Costa Cruises, a giant provider. He has a lot of experience because he has been working in the field for 25 years. And I have to, or may, now switch to English.
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Mario Zanetti0:49
English, thank you, then I also understand the question. We can also speak Italian, but my Italian is worse than my English. Welcome, thank you for having me.
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Axel1:09
You have a very good overview of cruises, because you have worked for Costa for 25 years. You know every corner of this business. Where is the most beautiful place on all seas? Where would you go if you have two weeks?
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Mario Zanetti1:35
The sea itself is the place. I still find the boating itself magical when you are on the high sea and see the vast blue. That is the best.
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Axel1:55
That is interesting. When you talk to people about cruises, there are those who love the destinations you can visit and the tours they do, and others love the overseas, if you just sail from one place to another.
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Mario Zanetti2:15
Yes, the world has many beautiful places, including the sea and the sky. And you see them best from the ship sailing during the day and at night, enjoying the time in that space.
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Axel2:38
It is interesting that when you are on one of their large ships, you are quite far from the water. You are on the water, but still far away because the ships are big and high.
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Mario Zanetti2:54
That depends on perspective. When you sail on the high sea, you become much smaller and you get a connection with the sea when you see the sun or look at the stars. That connects you with that place because there is no light pollution.
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Axel3:39
A quick look at your career. Costa is one of the biggest cruise players in the industry.
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Mario Zanetti3:47
Yes, we belong to Carnival Corporation, the largest player. The Costa brand has eight ships that travel all over the world. In summer most are in the Mediterranean, in winter also in the Caribbean, South America, Dubai, but also in the Mediterranean. And we have the world cruise that will start again soon. It is always a highlight.
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Axel4:21
Back to you. You started at Costa in 1999, you are from Genoa.
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Mario Zanetti4:30
Yes, I am the little city boy who stared at the ships when they sailed out into the world and thought that's interesting. Everyone in Genoa has the sea in their blood. We are a seafaring nation and Costa is really rooted in that culture. It is a brand that was founded here.
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Axel5:10
What positions have you held over your 25-year career?
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Mario Zanetti5:19
Very briefly: I was first a price analyst and then took on more and more responsibility. Then I was also responsible for travel processes and routes, which is very enjoyable. Then I did product creation, and in 2017 I took over the management of our Asia business unit. After the pandemic, back to Europe, we merged two brands and I was allowed to take over the responsibility as CEO.
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Axel6:12
So you know it from all perspectives. Regarding the pandemic, the cruise industry was heavily hit but has returned to pre-pandemic levels. And boom, did you expect that so quickly?
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Mario Zanetti6:30
We all worked hard on it, Costa, the whole country, the whole industry, to come back. We continued to invest, we worked on the product, both on the ships and on land, and it paid off. Now we are back where we were working.
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Axel7:03
And your newest ships are very large. How many passengers? I think over 6,500 passengers on the Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda. That is a good point. Ships are getting bigger, higher, more imposing. There are more arcades, more restaurants. Is that the future? Will it continue like that, or will there be a point where ships become a bit smaller again?
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Mario Zanetti7:49
In our business, there is not one size that fits all. The ship type depends on the route and which ports it can call at. Not all ships can call at small ports. There are smaller ships that can call at smaller ports, where you can go with fewer people. I wouldn't say that everything is getting bigger. That only applies to certain ships. For small ships, it's different. There will continue to be large ships, maybe even a bit bigger, but also other smaller ones.
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Axel8:55
This question naturally also leads to the question of sustainability and environmental compatibility. Critics of cruises criticize exactly this megalomania. Can that ever be sustainable?
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Mario Zanetti9:29
The whole world has to adapt to a more sustainable lifestyle. We in the shipping industry have been working on sustainability for decades. With Costa, we made our first certified sustainability report in 2006, when it wasn't even a big topic. So it has been part of our business for a long time. The Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda, along with other ships, were the first to run on LNG, a really important fuel transformation. We have efficient systems on board to use energy better. We separate 100% of waste for recycling. Just last week, we started a program to produce bottles from the plastic on the ships. It is still a long way, but we are committed and investing. If all involved participate, we will achieve zero emissions in the medium term.
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Axel11:26
That is clear, and you can make a big impact by making small adjustments because many people travel with you. But wouldn't it be better to use smaller ships to increase acceptance among the population in the visited destinations?
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Mario Zanetti12:05
You cannot say that ships are becoming smaller or larger; there will be different sizes from big to small. We can control how many people go where and when. Cooperation with destinations has been very important for years. We are making visits increasingly sustainable. For example, Dubrovnik was always very busy due to cruise ships, so we worked with the city and regional authorities to develop a visitor flow management concept. Today, Dubrovnik is a very good example of how visitor masses can be managed to even have a positive effect.
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Axel13:23
Finally: I have brought a model of your Costa Toscana. If someone is going on a cruise for the first time, never been, what would be your tip? Which trip to which place should they take first?
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Mario Zanetti13:41
Typically, the Mediterranean is always the entry point, and I think it is a very good idea. It is easily accessible and there are beautiful places.
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Axel13:54
And which cabin should one take? Where is it most beautiful on the ship?
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Mario Zanetti14:02
One of the balcony cabins. No matter which side, left or right, it is a very good choice. Forward or aft? It depends, both are good, but it depends on whether you want to see where you are coming from or where you are going.
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Axel14:29
Thank you for the visit, some insights and tips, and also the answers to the questions. Thank you very much. Now we know a bit more about cruising, and next time we will meet again at the ship.