Chinese hospitality brand Plateno Group is to market and sell Silversea Cruises throughout mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The move is designed to accelerate the luxury line’s growth plans following the recent announcement of the largest fleet-wide refurbishment plan in its history.
Silversea launches new ship Silver Muse in April 2017 and plans to convert Silver Cloud into an ice-class expedition vessel by the end of next year.
Plateno will provide exclusive access to commercial avenues in a region that is seeing impressive growth for the high-end cruise industry.
The line will continue to honour all existing travel agreements with agents in the region.
Executive chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio said: “We have long identified China as a key source market and destination for the development of the Silversea brand, and we are proud to be able to partner with the team at Plateno as we embark on this next stage of growth in the region.
“Having the right partner to provide market insight and support locally, as well as one who shares our company’s vision, will be key to our commercial success.
“We are convinced that the team at Plateno are the right team to bring and share in this commercial success by our side.”
Plateno founder Zheng Nanyan added: “In our quest to become the world’s leading hotel group, we are always looking for new opportunities to bring value and new experiences to our guests, and this partnership agreement with Silversea will provide an exclusive opportunity for us to showcase the leading luxury hospitality experience at sea.
“We look forward to continuing the work Silversea has started in the Chinese market, and are excited to be in a position to be able to introduce the brand to a much broader audience and demographic.”