The Mexican company ITM Group has expressed its interest in investing €1.8 million in the construction of a cruise terminal and the refurbishment of commercial premises at the marina to support the new terminal. After assessing that the project aligns with its growth objectives, the Port Authority of Melilla has granted the company a 25-year concession.
ITM Group is a family-owned company based in Cancun with over 30 years of experience in the port sector and more than 50 years in construction and development of port infrastructure. It is responsible for prominent projects in the Caribbean such as Costa Maya in Mexico; Taino Bay in the Dominican Republic; Port Roatán in Honduras; and the recently inaugurated Port Cabo Rojo in southern Dominican Republic, among others.
The Board of Directors of the Port Authority unanimously approved the request submitted by ‘MDT’, a company belonging to ITM Group, to install 10 commercial units in the currently unused establishments of the Noray Marina, as well as a cruise passenger terminal next to the Mineral Loading Dock. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year.
Some legal issues had to be resolved, as since 2010, the company ETM has held exclusive rights to operate passenger services in Melilla. However, an agreement has been reached for ETM to transfer certain rights of its license exclusively for cruise traffic at the loading dock and, exceptionally, at the Northeast-2 and Northeast-3 docks if vessels longer than those the Mineral Loading Dock can accommodate need to berth.
The president of the Port Authority emphasized that the approval of the concession—covering 1,465.95 m² across ten commercial units at the marina and 463 m² designated for a new passenger control building next to the Mineral Loading Dock, a protected cultural heritage site—marks the starting point of a project that has been in development for ten months.
In the first phase, currently vacant premises—some inactive for 28 years—will be refurbished to house restaurants, souvenir shops, and basic services. The small single-story building, designed to avoid casting shadows over the historic loading dock, will host the passenger control checkpoint for disembarking travelers. «It is satisfying that these premises, unused for decades, will finally generate activity and contribute to the Port Authority’s revenue,» said Manuel Ángel Quevedo.
Melilla has been experiencing a steady increase in cruise traffic, with 4,000 cruise passengers in 2023 and 9,000 expected in 2024. However, these figures are expected to rise significantly by 2027, when the company estimates over 80,000 passengers, reaching up to 150,000 by 2030.
In the coming days, the Vice President of ITM Group will visit Melilla, accompanied by two commercial area managers and other specialists involved in the “parallel activities” that the group plans to offer cruise passengers upon arrival in the autonomous city.
“We want Melilla to be known by the British, Germans, French, and Americans; to make them aware of our European identity and the richness of our historical heritage,” concluded Quevedo.
