The Port Authority, City Council, the Board of Trustees, and Cruceros Málaga are participating in a conference on the international cruise industry.
As part of joint efforts to boost cruise traffic, a delegation from Málaga—comprising representatives from the Port Authority, the City Council of Málaga, the Málaga-Costa del Sol Tourism Board, and the company Cruceros Málaga—is attending the International Cruise Summit, which is being held in Madrid on November 12 and 13.
The topics to be discussed during the conference will focus on the offerings of ports and destinations, the diversification of cruise lines, and the role of the media in this industry, among other issues.
The president of the Port Authority, Mr. Paulino Plata, considers this forum “of great interest for fostering interaction with key players in the cruise industry, as a follow-up to the contacts established at other industry events,” noting, furthermore, “the need to understand the current market assessment and future expectations,” which are addressed in the scheduled conferences.
Julio Andrade, the Málaga City Council’s Councilor for Tourism, also highlighted the importance of these types of forums for the growth of the cruise industry in the city. “It is essential that Málaga be present at all events where influencers and decision-makers who impact a sector of such great importance to our city come together,” he said.
For his part, Elías Bendodo, president of the Málaga Costa del Sol Provincial Tourism Board, spoke very highly of the fact that institutions are once again joining forces to promote this segment, which is proving to be “in such good health.” A segment that, in Málaga alone, generated “a direct economic impact of 40 million euros in 2013 and, above all, enjoys an excellent reputation among cruise passengers who visit our destination.” It is no surprise that “81 percent of them say they would return and recommend our destination.”
This forum, organized by the international consulting firm Cruises News Media Group, is aimed at industry professionals, as well as cruise lines and travel agents, who will discuss issues related to the evolution of the cruise industry, which in 2013 generated 1,230 million euros in direct spending in Spain—accounting for 7.6% of total direct spending in Europe.
