Hong Kong, 24 February 2009– With about 1,200,000 cruise Guests in 2008 (a record for the European industry as a whole), encouraging performances for the first months of 2009, more ships under construction or on order than any other company in the world (a total of 5, including 3 due for launch over the next 12 months, for a total investment worth 2.4 billion euros), over 250 destinations (with exclusive cruises in Dubai, the Far East and the Indian Ocean, and lots more news in the 2010 brochure, released in February this year), Italy’s largest tourism group and Europe’s no. 1 cruise company Costa Cruises is continuing to expand in spite of the global downturn.

e-Travel Blackboard: Costa Cruises’ growth continues