A delegation from Malaga, made up of representatives from the City Council, Costa del Sol Tourism and the port of the capital, will present the cruise offer to the main shipping companies in the United States, based in Miami, Orlando and Seattle, during a visit from February 17 to 19.
The action has been planned to coincide with the dates when shipping companies are in the itinerary planning phase, an ideal time to influence their decisions and encourage them to visit Malaga or include it among their home ports, the Provincial Council announced today in a statement.
This delegation visited Miami on the 17th, where they met with those responsible for port operations, itineraries, excursions and products from Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Azamara and Celebrity Cruise Line.
Today they will meet in Orlando with the executives of Disney Cruise Line, and on February 19, in Seattle, they will hold a meeting with the heads of Holland America Cruise Line, Seabourn Cruise Line and Windstar.
These meetings aim to establish the work strategy for the 2016/17 season, with companies planning to make 65 visits to Malaga this year.
These meetings will continue at the upcoming Cruise Shipping trade show in Miami, the world's most important event dedicated to the cruise industry, where these institutions will also be present.
The cruise segment has left behind several years of passenger losses and returned to the path of recovery last year, with an increase of 2.7 percent, according to figures from the Port Authority of Malaga.
Thus, in 2014 the figure of 407,870 cruise passengers was reached, despite the fact that twenty fewer ships arrived, for a total of 227.
These passengers left around thirty million euros in the destination, to which should be added the expenses incurred by any crew members who joined the visit
Forecasts indicate that 2015 will be a transition period in which current figures will be consolidated, and it will be in 2016 when a major leap will occur, taking advantage of the increase in the fleet of most shipping companies.
Thus, in 2015 the arrival of 245 ships is expected which, given their larger dimensions, will allow the movement of 527,492 cruise passengers if they arrive with full occupancy, although normally they will do so with 90 percent of their places sold.
