Cartagena, January 16, 2020 - This morning, the "Cruise Ship Friendly Business" campaign for this year was presented at the Cartagena Chamber of Commerce by the President of the Port Authority, Yolanda Muñoz, along with the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Miguel Martínez, the Councilor for Tourism, Manuel Padín, and the President of the Cartagena Open Shopping Centre Association, Antonio Sánchez.
The "Cruise-Friendly Businesses" (CAC) consortium was launched in 2008 to ensure that member businesses remain open when a cruise ship with more than 300 passengers docks in Cartagena. Cruise passengers are also provided with tourist information at the cruise terminal, a map of Cartagena with tourist information and details of member businesses, a helpline, and a website. This initiative, using Cartagena as a model, has been implemented in other ports such as Tarragona.
Currently, 42 businesses are participating. Most are in the hospitality sector, although there are also fashion and shoe stores, and, of course, souvenir shops and other businesses, such as pharmacies. The establishments are marked on a map given to cruise passengers upon arrival at the port of Cartagena, and it includes useful information such as the languages spoken at each business.
According to Muñoz, “the fact that passengers are informed during their journey about which shops will be open when they arrive in Cartagena is an added value for the shipping companies. We are also studying other initiatives to make the city's commercial offerings more attractive to tourists, such as shops offering discounts or samples of their products to introduce themselves before arriving in the city center.”.
The presentation of this edition took place at the Cartagena Chamber of Commerce, and the president highlighted the figures for this year, where more than 350,000 tourists are expected, including passengers and crew. “We must take into account that cruise ships carry a significant number of crew members who also make purchases in the city, so we must study how to reach these people who are the best ambassadors for Cartagena, through word of mouth.”.
The president already announced at her inauguration that she wants to make the Port and Cartagena the showcase of regional tourism. “Collaboration between the administration and businesses is essential to make the city attractive, as well as having products that identify it. That is why the promotion and dissemination of the “Cartagena” brand is so necessary, both by the Regional Government, the City Council, and, above all, by the businesses,” Muñoz stated.
The forecast for 2020 is 250,000 cruise passengers across 160 ports of call. This year, three cruise lines will visit us for the first time: Carnival Cruises, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Cruises, and TUI Cruises (the German subsidiary), along with 14 ships. Other ships, such as the Disney Magic, will be returning.
The busiest months will be May, September, October, and November, as usual. October will be the busiest month for cruises, with 25 ships expected to arrive carrying 35,000 passengers. Throughout the year, there will be 23 double calls and 4 triple calls. The final call of the year will be made by the Spirit of Discovery on December 28.
