The sixth edition of Europe's most important cruise congress brought together more than 400 attendees
The sixth edition of the International Cruise Summit, held on November 22nd and 23rd in Madrid, surpassed the success of previous events and confirmed the growing importance of this congress within the industry. More than 400 attendees were able to learn about and explore this constantly expanding industry.
The opening of this new edition was led by José Llorca Ortega, President of State Ports , who highlighted the importance of the cruise sector for thousands of people who work in the ports; Marta Blanco Quesada, General Director of Turespaña; Anunciada Fernández de Córdova, General Director of the Culture and Tourism Office of the Community of Madrid; Sabine Schwanz, Director of Tourism Promotion for the Madrid City Council; and Virginia López Valiente, CEO of Cruises News Media Group.
The opening address was delivered by Pierfrancesco Vago, current President of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises. Vago emphasized the importance of harmonizing European regulations for ship port calls to ensure the industry's continued growth while maintaining its long-standing commitment to the environment and sustainability. He also highlighted the significant contribution of cruises to the European economy, noting that 75 ships worth €41 billion will be built in the coming years, and offered his support to destinations to work together to improve the integration of tourism with urban development in the most congested ports.
One of the key moments of the 2016 International Cruise Summit was the interview that Virginia López, CEO of Cruises News Media Group, conducted with Richard Vogel, president of the Pullmantur Group. Vogel stated that, being a smaller cruise line, they needed to focus on their strengths as a Spanish company dedicated to the Spanish and South American markets. He added that one of their objectives is to establish cruises in the Canary Islands and reduce the seasonality of cruise vacations.
The large number of ships under construction and the current order books of cruise lines were among the topics that generated the most interest at this year's event, given their impact on sales and the congestion in certain ports. The Chinese market, to which several of these new ships will be dedicated, will be very important. Juergen Stille, Director of Business Development for Continental Europe at Norwegian Cruise Line, emphasized the growth potential in this market. "China is in a recession, but its cruise penetration rate is only 0.1%," he added.
On the other hand, Alan Lam, Senior Editor of Cruise Business Review, expressed concern about the large order book and doubts about China's ability to fill all the planned ships.
The speech by Kerry Anastassiadis, the incoming CLIA president, was also eagerly anticipated. The current CEO of Celestyal Cruises addressed several of the industry's most pressing concerns. He emphasized the importance of restoring normalcy to the Mediterranean following the recent attacks and highlighted the significant challenge this geopolitical situation poses for the industry. Furthermore, he stated that he did not believe Trump's victory would negatively impact the sector.
Cruise route planning was another topic discussed, where it was noted that there is an increasing trend towards seeking ports closer to each other, and that in the future the availability of Liquefied Natural Gas in ports will be an important factor since many of the ships that will be built will use this fuel.
This sixth edition has further strengthened Spain's image as the second most popular cruise destination in Europe and Madrid's position as a host city for major international conferences. Furthermore, Spain is firmly established as a leader in the sector thanks to its infrastructure and diverse range of destinations offering cultural and leisure experiences to suit all tastes. Indeed, the event generated €1.323 billion in economic impact in Spain in 2015, as Pierfrancesco Vago confirmed during his speech.
This latest edition of the International Cruise Summit also stood out for the multitude of opportunities attendees had to interact with speakers both in round tables and presentations, as well as in networking moments, in an environment that improves year after year.
