The Secretary of State for Tourism, Matilde Asián, commented in Santa Cruz de Tenerife last September that Spain's challenge lies in "managing the success" of tourism in a "highly competitive" environment and combining the rights and duties of tourists and residents to make economic development "compatible" with sustainability.
Article from CruisesNews magazine
In the Canary Islands, tourism represents 34% of GDP and almost 40% of jobs, and for this reason, he has asked for "more institutional involvement" to implement measures that favor the sector.
The increase in the number of cruise passengers in the Canary Islands has been unstoppable in recent years. The push from German operators such as Aida and TUI, along with the continued presence of British cruise lines, has led to the islands receiving more than two million passengers, up from 146,117 in 1997. In just 18 years, the number of passengers has increased thirteenfold. During the same period, the number of passengers using the Canary Islands as their homeport has increased eighty-fourfold, an astonishing rise.
A Sustainable Port:
The new 2017-2018 cruise season in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is marked by the successful operation of the new cruise terminal, resulting in new homeport operations. This year, the new terminal will be the homeport for AIDA Cruises with the AIDAsol, AIDAblu, and AIDAprima; Thomson Cruises with the Thomson Dream; and Pullmantur, returning for the second consecutive year with the Horizon. Cruise lines are beginning to use the terminal for transatlantic repositioning cruises, such as Windstar in November with the Wind Surf, and Ponant with Le Lyrial that same month. Furthermore, it continues its traditional role as a transit port of call, and will continue to receive ships from lines such as P&O, Costa, MSC Cruises, and TUI.
This situation led to the need to build specific facilities for cruise ships, which materialized in the Santa Cruz cruise terminal, the most advanced in the Atlantic, with approximately 9,000 m² of surface area, constructed of wood, and equipped with everything necessary to facilitate passenger embarkation, such as moving walkways, etc. Santa Cruz de Tenerife has two berths: the Ribera dock, which, with the new terminal, offers 400 meters of berthing space, and the South Dock, with 1.2 kilometers dedicated to cruise ships.
In line with its sustainability philosophy, the Port Authority of Tenerife, in collaboration with other entities, is developing a comprehensive project related to LNG. The focus on liquefied natural gas as a fuel of the future is also one of the hallmarks of the sector, with the aim of reducing emissions. The IMO has set a global limit of 0.50% for the sulfur content of fuel oil used on board ships, effective January 1, 2020. Many operators see LNG as a medium-term solution, as it offers an 80% reduction in NOx emissions and the elimination of SOx and particulate emissions.
Currently, seventeen LNG-powered vessels are under construction. These include two for Aida, two for Costa, four for MSC, and one for P&O, all frequent customers of the Ports of Tenerife, making LNG logistics a crucial competitive advantage. The 2017-2018 season will see the arrival of the AIDAprima, a vessel that uses LNG in port; in 2018, the AIDAnova, which will use LNG both while docked and at sea, will be launched. Both will require refueling by truck or barge, and this infrastructure will soon be used by other types of vessels and shipowners. The commitment of Ports of Tenerife to LNG is complemented by a regasification plant to be built in the new industrial port of Granadilla.
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife cruise terminal is one of the most advanced and modern in the Atlantic
The Ports of Tenerife is thus part of the change that Tenerife will make to direct the management of the destination towards the sustainability of a tourist powerhouse that last year received 6,390,000 people, of them more than two million from Spanish airports, not counting the almost 600,000 cruise passengers in a territory that has two World Heritage sites, a Biosphere Reserve, the most visited National Park in all of Spain and whose 48% of the land is protected.
Cruise Growth:
Tenerife's ports expect to see around 4% growth this year in cruise ship calls and passengers. This is due to the increased offerings from various cruise lines. Thomson, a long-standing client of Tenerife, has deployed the Thomson Dream for the entire season, a larger vessel than the Thomson Majesty, which it has replaced. Furthermore, it has sent its flagship, the TUI Discovery 2, to Tenerife starting September 29th. This ship will offer six round-trip cruises before departing for the Caribbean on November 10th, 2017.
AIDA Cruises continues to feature three ships in the Canary Islands, but is expanding its offerings in two ways: firstly, it has relocated its flagship, the AIDAprima, to Tenerife. At over 100,000 tons, this will be the largest ship ever to sail in the Canary Islands, offering a full season of seven-night cruises between November and April; and secondly, it is extending the season by adding the AIDAsol, which will be in service starting September 2nd. Pullmantur has also extended its season in the Canary Islands.
TUI Kreuz also increases its offering by replacing the Mein Schiff 2 with the modern Mein Schiff 4, and next season 2018-2019 it grows again with the Mein Schiff 1.
The
port of Santa Cruz de La Palma is a fundamental part of the Ports of Tenerife's commercial strategy to attract new shipping companies, given the island's tourism potential. The entire island, a Biosphere Reserve, offers stunning views, including the famous seas of clouds below its vertical cliffs, and every corner of the Caldera de Taburiente is a unique and unforgettable place. The Roque de los Muchachos, for example, offers a unique landscape as you ascend, with a tropical climate at sea level and a Mediterranean climate at mid-altitude. Beyond its natural beauty, La Palma is an island rich in culture and traditions, boasting several ethnographic museums. Agriculture and seafaring traditions define the island, and museums dedicated to these themes include the Naval Museum, the Mojo Museum, and the Banana Museum. It also offers the opportunity to learn firsthand about the origin of the universe from the largest telescope in the northern hemisphere.
The cruise terminal at the Port of Santa Cruz de La Palma currently has drafts of between 9 and 14 meters and a berthing line of 740 meters. This infrastructure allows it to receive more than 140 calls this season, welcoming ships such as the AIDAsol every week, and the TUI Discovery 2, Mein Schiff 4, Horizon, Ocean Majesty, and Thomson Dream every two weeks, in addition to others like the Britannia, Ventura, and AIDABlu, etc., which call on cruises originating in the United Kingdom or Lisbon. Its growing importance as a transit port for repositioning cruises is also noteworthy, especially for smaller luxury vessels such as the Hanseatic, Sea Cloud, and Seabourn Odyssey.
La Palma has become an essential stop on transatlantic routes given its status as a Schengen port.
La Palma has become an essential stop on transatlantic routes due to its status as a Schengen port and the multitude of options available. To further enhance this role, the berthing capacity will be increased for the 2020-2021 season to accommodate the new generation of cruise ships from major clients of the island, such as P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean. This project is currently in the preliminary design phase, but the Port Authority's aim is to expand the port and transform it into a hub that stimulates the island's economy, including the creation of a Free Trade Zone.
This preliminary project includes the extension of the main East dock by 125 meters to allow the docking of the latest generation of cruise ships, such as the AIDAnova or the Mein Schiff 1, all larger ships, which will begin to arrive from next season, thus ensuring that La Palma is not excluded from the itineraries of the major shipowners.
The port of Santa Cruz de La Palma is a fundamental part of the commercial strategy of Ports of Tenerife to attract new shipping companies.
La
Gomera offers visitors the opportunity to explore Garajonay National Park, world-renowned for its laurel forest, as well as the Majona and Torre del Conde Natural Parks. Its rocky outcrops, forests, and beaches, along with improved infrastructure, have attracted shipping companies due to its enormous tourism potential, particularly recognized by environmentally conscious markets such as Germany.
La Gomera has established itself as an essential stopover with its active and nature tourism strategy.
The Columbus-era port of San Sebastián de La Gomera, whose berth was extended by 38 meters in 2015, now offers a total of 340 meters of berth with a draft of 12-14 meters at the third berth. This expansion has increased its capacity, allowing it to be included in the itineraries of large ships sailing during the winter season for shipowners primarily focused on the German and British markets. Over the next six months, it will have seventy-seven cruise ship calls. Furthermore, this season, AIDA Cruises has included San Sebastián in its 10- and 11-day itineraries departing from Santa Cruz, which include stops in Lisbon and Cádiz, traditional ports of departure for the discoveries of the 15th and 16th centuries. These ports are thus twinned with the port of San Sebastián de La Gomera, which was Christopher Columbus's last stop before discovering America. This itinerary represents a new market niche, complementing the shorter, week-long cruises. Cruises from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Cape Verde and Senegal, offered by Aida Cruises since 2012 with its smaller ships, have also become a staple in the German operator's offerings.
Thanks to the expansion and the undeniable historical appeal of the island, as well as the variety of excursions it offers for active tourism, the new Mein Schiff 1, a vessel of 111,000 registered tons and over 300 meters in length, will visit it regularly during the 2018-2019 season, just as TUI Cruises has been doing this year with the Mein Schiff 4. In addition, ships such as the AIDAvita, AIDAblu, Mein Schiff 4, Horizon, Ocean Majesty, and Thomson Dream will regularly dock at its piers this season.
The island is also known for "el silbo", a unique language protected as UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage and the highlight of a visit to La Gomera.
Furthermore, there is a close connection between the locals and cruise ship tourism, as evidenced by the theatrical tour through the streets of San Sebastián, featuring figures such as Admiral Christopher Columbus and Beatriz de Bobadilla, among others, created by the La Gomera-based theater company Minela Teatro. Finally, the capital of La Gomera will host a craft market in Plaza de Las Américas, where various whistling and folklore performances will create a welcoming atmosphere for visitors, encouraging them to delve deeper into the streets of San Sebastián.
There is an intimate communion between the inhabitants and cruise tourism, as evidenced by the theatrical tour through the streets of San Sebastián accompanied by the figures of Admiral Christopher Columbus or Beatriz de Bobadilla.
El Hierro
The Port of La Estaca offers 223 meters of berthing line with 14 meters of draft in the second alignment.
The small island of El Hierro, just 280 square kilometers in size and located on the Prime Meridian, is known for its giant lizards, descendants of the dinosaurs that once roamed the planet, and also for having the best underwater scenery in the Canary Islands for underwater photography. El Hierro is a UNESCO Geopark, and all levels of government work together to protect it and ensure it remains a unique and exclusive environment. It offers a great diversity of landscapes, ranging from volcanic terrain to meadows with verdant pine forests. Its natural pools and viewpoints are particularly famous.
The island is known for being home to giant lizards, descendants of dinosaurs.
It is the Tenerife Port Authority's port with the least cruise traffic, with only eleven calls scheduled for this season. Its most frequent clients are companies like Phoenix, National Geographic, Saga, Hapag Lloyd, and Sea Cloud, which specialize in exploration cruises. However, this year it has been included in tour operator rotations with six calls by the Ocean Majesty for the Polish company Atika, as well as one call by the AIDAvita.
Likewise, the number of cruise ship passengers arriving in the first part of the year doubled the already positive result of 2016.
El Hierro is a regular stop on the itineraries of exploration cruise lines.
Los Cristianos
is also an exclusive port in southern Tenerife. It's the only port in the Port Authority without a dedicated cruise ship dock, so cruise ships must anchor to access the island's best golf courses and the most exclusive clothing and jewelry boutiques. Passengers can also enjoy Tenerife's finest beaches and Siam Park, voted the world's best water park by TripAdvisor users for another year.
This season there will be seven stops in Los Cristianos, four by the Ocean Majesty, and the rest by the two Sea Cloud Cruises ships, and by the Artania, from Phoenix Reisen, the largest ship, which will anchor on December 13.
