The Seatrade Cruise Med congress will take place in Lisbon tomorrow, September 19th, and Thursday, September 20th. This biennial event brings together the region's cruise industry with top executives from cruise lines. In 2020, Seatrade Cruise Med will be held in Málaga.
This year's event is expected to draw 2,500 attendees, including 200 cruise line executives. The Port of Lisbon has promoted the event, which is supported by MedCruise and CLIA.
Today, many of the participants who have already arrived in the city are touring tourist attractions and visiting Lisbon's new cruise terminal, where the MedCruise speakers and VIP members dinner will take place.
This event, which includes a trade fair with booths, a series of conferences and networking opportunities, is part of the so-called Portugal Shipping Week, which also includes the MedCruise General Assembly on September 21 and the CLIA Ports&Destinations Summit taking place today.
Currently, more than 200 cruise line executives are registered, representing virtually all cruise companies. The President of the Lisbon Port Authority said, “Organizing this prestigious event is a recognition of the work we have done in the cruise sector for many years. We hope this event will give a strong boost to the local and national economy of this sector, especially now that Lisbon is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to welcome all cruise ships and their guests.”.
Lisbon Cruise Port and Global Ports Holding invested 22 million euros in the new terminal, which opened at the end of 2017.
Key topics
The selected speakers from across the industry will address a variety of topics, including:
- Key points – Industry news by CLIA, and on the Mediterranean by the president of MedCruise, Airam Diaz Pastor
- Review of the state of the industry with senior shipping executives and Diaz Pastor, sponsored by Andalucia and Costa de Almeria
- Meeting future demand in the Mediterranean and its nearby seas
- How industry handles the challenges of atmospheric emissions
- Hidden Gems Uncovered, sponsored by the Greek National Tourism Organization
- How new megacruising yachts are impacting the upscale market
- Making Cruises Welcome – A debate on the challenges of the cruise industry in ports and cities concerned about overtourism and sustainability
- The growing trend of expedition cruises
- As the industry adopts new technologies and innovations
