A delegation from Spanish ports, led by Puertos del Estado (State Ports) and comprised of 21 Port Authorities, is participating in Seatrade Europe, Europe's largest trade fair dedicated to the cruise industry, held in Hamburg, Germany, from September 6 to 8.The main objective is to consolidate cruise traffic, hoping to reach a new all-time high of more than 8.8 million passengers by the end of the year.
The significance of Seatrade Europe, held in Hamburg, lies in the fact that of the 6.6 million Europeans who took a cruise in 2016, one-third of them were German, followed by the United Kingdom (1.9 million), Italy (751,000), France (574,000), Spain (486,000), and Scandinavia (226,000).
The Port Authorities of A Coruña, Alicante, Avilés, Bay of Cádiz, Balearic Islands, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Castellón, Ceuta, Ferrol-San Cibrao, Gijón, Huelva, Málaga, Motril, Pasaia, Santander, Seville, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo, and Vilagarcía de Arousawill be part of the Ports of Spain , where they will use their established image and slogan, “Blue Carpet: Step into Spain through world-class ports,” to hold their meetings and promote their businesses. As in previous years, the Port Authorities of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife will meet in the “Cruises Atlantic Islands” area, alongside the ports of Madeira and Cape Verde.
In 2013, Puertos del Estado (Spanish State Ports Authority) presented the BLUE CARPET concept in Miami to launch its marketing campaign for the cruise industry . Just as the red carpet represents welcome and hospitality, making those who walk on it the protagonists of unforgettable moments, the BLUE CARPET is the experience that extends this first-class welcome to all visitors arriving in Spain through its ports . It represents , therefore, the direct transition from sea to land, through modern, state-of-the-art facilities that enhance arrivals and provide immediate port-to-shore integration .
In addition to the ports, renowned companies in the sector are participating, including Bergé, which in 2016 managed the agency of more than 700 cruise ships with more than 1 million passengers; Pérez y Cía, a shipping agency with extensive experience and presence in the maritime-port sector; and the Spanish Tourism Office in Berlin.
Likewise, supplier companies such as Cavas Llopart, Enate, Caprichodiario, Mar7, San Miguel, and Solán de Cabras, whose main objective, in addition to supporting the Spanish supply of food products in the German market, is to introduce themselves as suppliers in the select cruise sector.
HISTORIC RECORDS YEAR AFTER YEAR
In 2016, Spanish ports reached an all-time high, handling 8.7 million passengers, a 0.6% increase over the previous year. In the first half of this year, another record was set with over 3.6 million passengers, representing a 1.7% increase compared to the same period in 2016.
According to the Port Authorities' forecasts, cruise traffic will continue to grow in the coming years at a rate of 1.5-3%, potentially reaching 9.5 million cruise passengers in 2020.
The importance of cruise tourism in Spain is growing year after year, following successive record-breaking passenger traffic figures in recent years. These figures have positioned Spain as the second-largest European country for this type of tourism, second only to Italy, according to data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Spain also ranks second as a country of embarkation/disembarkation, with 1.3 million passengers.
Furthermore, the cruise industry employs 28,576 people in Spain, and represents a direct economic contribution of €1,323 million, according to CLIA.
