The Port Authority is proposing a study for which it is requesting the support of the Andalusian Regional Government, the Provincial Council, the Cadiz City Council and the Chamber of Commerce.
The Port Authority of the Bay of Cadiz has presented a study proposal at the Cadiz Cruise Observatory to achieve the goal of becoming a home port for cruise ships within two years.
The first phase would involve a market study and an assessment of the economic impact, while the second would be the development of the plan itself. During phase 1, global and regional trends would be analyzed, including information on new cruise ship construction and data on the medium- to long-term strategies used in cruise line itinerary and route planning. This information would then be used to evaluate Cádiz's potential to become a homeport.
An economic impact study will also be conducted to inform the destination about the economic contribution that the growth of cruise ships would have in the area.
Phase 2 would consist of developing the plan to convert Cadiz into a home port for cruise ships if Phase 1 is successful.
In this regard, the president of the Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz, José Luis Blanco, has recalled that the involvement, participation and collaboration of all agents in tourism is essential to make Cádiz a home port for cruise ships.
The territorial delegate for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Remedios Palma, present at the Observatory meeting where the project was presented, offered the collaboration of the Junta, which she described as an “ally” in this approach.
Similarly, the provincial deputy for Tourism, María Dolores Varo, who also attended the Observatory's meeting, showed her support for the project.
The municipal technician from the Tourism Department who attended the meeting on behalf of the Cadiz City Council also announced that this institution will work to become a home port and will support the development of the study. Finally, the representative of the Chamber of Commerce, Miguel Urraca, announced that they will analyze the formula for collaborating on the proposed financing.
The decision by the Port of Cadiz to position itself as a home port for cruise ships comes after consolidating its position as a port of call and is supported by a continued growth in this traffic over the last 20 years, when the number of port calls has tripled and the number of passengers has increased tenfold.
