MedCruise presents the 2015 statistics at Seatrade Cruise Global.
The ports of the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) have risen one point in the ranking, in terms of the number of cruise passengers who have passed through their ports and are now in third place in the Mediterranean, behind the ports of Barcelona and Civitavecchia, with 1,996,533 passengers.
This was announced by MedCruise at the presentation of the 2015 annual statistics, during an event organized within the framework of the Seatrade Cruise Global that is being held these days in the North American city of Fort Lauderdale.
Ports de Balears, with the port of Palma at the forefront, has also risen from fourth to first place among Mediterranean ports in terms of the number of cruise passengers in transit, with 1,442,606, ahead of Civitavecchia, Barcelona, and Naples. Similarly, it has moved from fourth to second place in the Mediterranean ranking regarding the number of port calls recorded in 2015, behind Civitavecchia and ahead of Barcelona, with 788 ships per year.
The president of the Balearic Port Authority (APB), Joan Gual de Torrella, who is leading the Balearic delegation at Seatrade Cruise Global, views these figures as recognition of the excellent work the port authority has been carrying out for years, particularly focused on facilitating the establishment of cruise lines in our ports. However, for Gual, the APB's objective must be to seek a more equitable distribution of the wealth generated by cruises in the region. "Our goal is not growth for the sake of growth, but rather for cruise tourism to complement the existing offerings in the Islands and contribute to finding new lines of business," Joan Gual emphasized.
In this regard, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) aims to position the Port of Palma as a low-season destination at Seatrade Cruise Global and increase its calls as a home port, given that it has fallen from fifth to sixth place in the MedCruise rankings in this respect. Regarding the Port of Ibiza, the goal is to promote it as a destination for large cruise ships, given the availability of suitable facilities, and to offer the ports of Mahón, Alcúdia, and La Savina to companies specializing in small and medium-sized cruises with itineraries for a more exclusive clientele. MedCruise is the association of ports in the Mediterranean and surrounding seas that promotes the growth of the cruise industry in this region.
