The Maó City Council, in coordination with the Balearic Port Authority, is managing the attraction of new calls by small and medium-sized luxury cruise ships, according to municipal sources.
They highlighted that "this type of cruise represents a high-quality market, which adapts very well to the special characteristics of the port of Maó.".
Even though it maintains an average of one hundred cruise ships per year, the Mahón port has not registered the growth of other nearby ports, which the city council attributes, among other factors, "to the very nature of the port.".
It has opted to open new channels that allow for a varied offer of cruises, in addition to the large ones, which are difficult to fit in due to the volume of passengers and economic return as well as the physical conditions of the port.
The Balearic Islands Port Authority is also working on this new initiative. At the Seatrade Cruise trade show, recently held in Florida (United States), it showcased the characteristics of the port of Mahón, highlighting its cultural, scenic, and gastronomic appeal, "always keeping in mind," they emphasized, "that larger cruise ships might be of interest.".
First Deputy Mayor Vicenç Tur, who represents the city council on the board of directors of the Balearic Islands Port Authority, has stated that "the port of Mahón has a special nature and history that make it different from other ports, also for the cruise market.".
"The port's configuration itself," he added, "encourages us to move towards a higher-quality market, one that values historical and natural elements, so the city council's strategy is to work with ports of similar characteristics" and "create different port routes, of a more closely related historical and cultural nature.".
With this objective, efforts are underway to join forces with medium-sized ports and smaller cities to offer new routes in the Mediterranean to trading companies. A relationship has already been established with some of these cities, such as Alghero.
According to Vicenç Tur, "this new strategic vision is also shared by the city's merchants and restaurants, who are calling for efforts to attract this type of cruise ship.".
