International Cruise Summit 2015:
Cruise passenger traffic forecasts 8.4 million passengers by the end of the current year
The president of State Ports, José Llorca, has announced that cruise passenger traffic through Spanish ports will break another record by the end of 2015, exceeding 8 million passengers, with growth of over 10%. Llorca, who inaugurated the 5th International Cruise Summit 2015, held in Madrid on the 18th and 19th of this month, highlighted the positive evolution of an industry that generates €1.255 billion in business in Spain and employs more than 26,000 people. During the first nine months of the year, cruise passenger traffic through Spanish ports surpassed 6 million passengers (+11.7%) traveling on 2,618 cruise ships (+2.5%).
Similarly, the president of Puertos del Estado (State Ports Authority) highlighted the efforts being made by all the stakeholders and administrations involved to attract this type of tourism. Specifically, Puertos del Estado reduced the basic port usage fees by 5% and the occupancy fees by 8.5%, keeping them frozen at 2014 levels for 2015; the correction factors for port fees have been lowered below 1 in ports with a sound financial standing; and more recently, the vessel tax for ships powered by liquefied natural gas has been reduced by 50%.
All these measures, along with other efforts at the Community level to simplify and streamline customs processes, are allowing Spanish ports to become a good attraction for this type of tourism.
