The Port of Almería is promoting its region as a cruise destination at the International Cruise Summit in Madrid. This event is the most important of its kind in Spain for this segment of the tourism industry.
While the last cruise ship of the 2015 season is being welcomed into the Almería dock, representatives of the Port of Almería continue to promote cruises by attending the most important event held in Spain for this segment of the tourism sector.
The International Cruise Summit (ICS) is an annual event, a must-attend for a port like Almería, which includes promoting Almería as a cruise destination among its key objectives. Representatives from the cruise industry, including shipping lines, tourism institutions, ports, and tour operators, attend this event. Over two days of conferences, the state of the cruise sector in Spain is reviewed, the evolution of the cruise business in the Western Mediterranean is assessed, and the opportunity is taken to promote destinations directly to shipping lines and tour operators. Attendance at the ICS is another of the commercial initiatives promoted annually by the Port Authority of Almería, and its impact has grown to rival participation in cruise fairs in Miami or Hamburg.
2015 was a good year for cruise traffic at the Port Authority of Almería. The season concluded with the visit of the elegant sailing ship Wind Star, from the North American cruise line Windstar Cruises. With this call, a total of 27 cruise ships and almost 20,000 passengers visited the port of Almería this year, figures that represent growth compared to previous years and bode well for the coming years.
In the words of Trinidad Cabeo, President of the Port Authority of Almería, “the cruise traffic projected for 2016 confirms this very positive trend. A dozen different cruise lines have chosen to include Almería in their itineraries this past year, and they have committed to continuing to offer port calls. With 34 calls planned for our port, these will allow almost 30,000 passengers to enjoy the tourism offerings that have developed around cruise traffic.” The tourism offerings in the destination must be attractive, as their positive growth allows cruise lines to be profitable, encourages them to continue visiting the port, and benefits the city's commercial and hospitality sectors.
In recent years, the quality and variety of excursions offered to cruise lines have improved, leading to the creation of new tour packages and their marketing to cruise lines and tour operators. The promotion of Almería as a cruise destination is coordinated by the Almería Cruise Club (ACC). This is Almería's first tourism product club and is proving to be a valuable marketing tool. It was created within the Bahía Almeriport Foundation, as the Foundation represents all stakeholders involved in the cruise industry that calls at the Port of Almería. These include the Port Authority of Almería itself, shipping agents, authorized cruise tour operators, tourism companies, and institutions with jurisdiction over tourism.
