The Port Authority of Bilbao, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, together with Bilbao Tourism and Getxo Tourism, will hold the BILBAO BIZKAIA CRUISE FORUM at the new cruise terminal. This event is aimed at professionals in the port sector, auxiliary industries, travel agencies, tourism promotion institutions, as well as managers of hotels, restaurants, museums, shops, tour guides, and, in general, all services that can benefit from the arrival of cruise passengers in Bilbao and its surroundings or that wish to expand their knowledge of this industry.
The number of cruise passengers arriving at the Port of Bilbao has increased in recent years, exceeding 86,500 in 2016. The importance of port infrastructure for the development of the industry and the need to offer local tourist services adapted to cruise market trends are evident. Cruise lines continue to focus on Atlantic destinations and point out that the diversity of destinations in northern Spain presents a new opportunity to increase passenger visits to Bilbao. Spain is the largest European cruise destination after Italy, and our ports are among the best in the world.
The Bilbao Bizkaia Cruise Forum, organized by Cruises News Media Group, a media consultancy specializing in the cruise industry and organizer of the International Cruise Summit in Madrid, aims to present the business opportunities that cruise traffic represents for Bilbao and Bizkaia, and to analyze the promotional activities that its port and institutions have developed to receive an increasing number of cruise ships with the intention of making Bilbao a home port for cruises.
The forum will take place on June 29th from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The event will be directed by Virginia López, General Manager of Cruises News Media Group, and moderated by David Selby, General Manager of Travelyields Consulting. Following the opening remarks and welcome speeches by the authorities, topics of interest to Bilbao Bizkaia will be discussed, such as the latest investments made by the Port, including its new cruise terminal designed to improve service quality for cruise passengers; the evolution of the cruise industry in this destination, reviewing its past, present, and future prospects; and Bilbao-Bizkaia as an exceptional cruise destination.
It will also feature executives from major cruise lines such as Raffaele D'Ambrosio, Managing Director of Costa Cruises, Emiliano González, Managing Director of MSC Cruises, Jesús Ramírez, Business Development Manager at Norwegian Cruise Line, Roberto Cabello, Business Development Manager at Oceania Cruises, Matthew Agg, Head of Destination at Cruise & Maritime, and Javier Rodriguez, Director of Operations and Destinations at Pullmantur Cruises, as well as representatives from companies in the sector who will actively participate in the forum through debates and roundtables, analyzing the strategy to follow to obtain greater benefits for the industry in this destination and the future of Bilbao Bizkaia in the cruise industry.
The event is the result of an initiative by the Port Authority of Bilbao, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, Bilbao Tourism and Getxo Tourism, and has the collaboration of several public bodies and private companies.
