Cruise tourism development in the Community of Madrid. An opportunity, a reality.
The cruise sector
is booming. There's no doubt about it. Nearly eight million passengers visited Spain in 2015. Ninety-five percent of these passengers were international (the domestic market is around 466,000 passengers). We are the second most popular cruise destination in Europe, and our ports are among the best in the world. Spain is well-positioned among the source markets of the USA, UK, Germany, the Nordic countries, Italy, France, and Russia. There is a global fleet of more than 300 cruise ships, and plans are underway to build 70 more by 2022.
Madrid's relationship with the cruise industry:
Many European and American cruise passengers embarking from Spanish ports arrive in our country via Barajas Airport or simply wish to explore Spain further, extending their trip with tours before or after their cruises. The economic impact of this type of passenger cannot be overlooked by the Madrid community.
Opportunities for Madrid
Tourism include pre-cruise, post-cruise, overland, and excursion tourism. We mustn't forget the cruiser who influences travel, those who like what they've seen in just a few hours and return to the destination for other reasons (vacations, longer stays). Furthermore, the growth of the cruise industry itself is increasing the number of international cruise passengers choosing to embark in Spain, as all the major international cruise lines are positioning their largest ships in Spanish ports, and these large cruise ships carry international passengers.
The AVE high-speed train has facilitated closer connections between Madrid and the ports, and it's now a reality that some cruise lines offer excursions to Madrid during their stops in Spain. Promoting Madrid as a cruise destination is not a pipe dream; American cruise passengers who visit Europe tend to stay an average of five extra days, making Madrid a suitable destination for their pre- or post-cruise stay.
Objectives of the Madrid Cruise Forum:
In collaboration with the cruise industry itself, the Madrid Cruise Forum 2016 will aim to present the scale of the cruise business and all the opportunities it offers to the Community of Madrid. The discussion will focus on how the sector operates and how cruise passengers behave, as well as how the destination itself and its tourism services must adapt to ensure the satisfaction of this new type of tourist. It is important to lay the groundwork for analyzing the current situation and promoting studies that will reveal future strategies.
Who is
MADRID CRUISE FORUM for? It is an event aimed at professionals in the tourism sector, travel agencies, institutions related to tourism promotion, managers of hotel services, restaurants, museums, shops, professional associations and in general all those services that can benefit from the transit of cruise passengers in Madrid.
