January 14, 2021: Vancouver, BC – Tracesafe Inc., (“TraceSafe”) (CSE: TSF), a global leader in wearable safety tech, including contact tracing and quarantine management, is proud to announce the formation of a strategic cruiseship division led by current director of global business development, Susanne MacKillop, based on ongoing collaboration and positive feedback from the industry. Susanne brings over 20 years of cruise ship experience selling critical communication services to the world's largest operators.
TraceSafe has been closely collaborating with cruise industry leaders to establish best practice protocols as the cruise industry returns to the seas. "I'm thrilled with the progress our team has been making to address one of the most challenging problems for the tourism and hospitality industry." said Wayne Lloyd, TraceSafe CEO.
TraceSafe is making significant product innovations specifically for the benefit of cruise lines, including low connectivity support and rapid pairing, which will be easily transferred to all TraceSafe customers and further differentiate TraceSafe from competitors. The firm is well positioned to become the center of seamless guest experiences in a post-COVID environment, whether cruise lines or other hospitality environments, with room keys, payments, meal experiences and more integrated in one "smart device."
COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the cruise industry. Each of the three largest cruise operators lost approximately 65 percent of their sales in the first nine months of 2020, according to Statista. The largest operator by market capitalization Carnival posted a $4.4bn loss in the second quarter.
TraceSafe is working with industry leaders to launch a strategic cruiseship and hospitality advisory council and expects to announce initial appointments shortly. TraceSafe's unique experience with contact tracing and self-quarantine management technologies means it is perfectly positioned to expand into the cruise and hospitality industries.
The resumption of cruising in 2021, with stringent health and safety measures in place, will herald a triumphant return for "one of the fastest growing sectors of travel and tourism," according to Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association. In 2019, the cruise industry supported 436,600 American jobs paying $24.4 billion in wages in 2019-a 3.5% and 5.4% increase from 2018, respectively.
About TraceSafe
TraceSafe is a full suite of real-time location management services and contact tracing solutions enabled through advanced low power bluetooth beacons and enterprise cloud management. TraceSafe's leading cloud management solution ensures both user privacy and comprehensive administrative control. TraceSafe's patented contact tracing bracelet has already been deployed in mission critical quarantine applications around the world in partnership with leading governments. In addition to their government work, TraceSafe is developing leading edge solutions for Enterprise, Healthcare, Education, Government and large-scale venue management.