The Institutional Cruise Roundtable, chaired by the Port Authority of Tarragona and comprised of institutional and business representatives from the Costa Dorada tourism sector, met virtually this Friday, May 15. The Catalan Tourism Agency and the Vila-seca City Council participated for the first time in this coordinating body for the Costa Dorada cruise project.
The members of the Board have agreed to reorient the promotional actions planned for this year towards the objectives of promoting the territory and preparing the sector's return with the best possible position compared to other competing destinations and territories.
The agreement was reached after analyzing the situation arising from the Covid-19 pandemic at various levels, from its global effects on the economy and the tourism sector in general to its impact on the cruise subsector. The committee jointly reviewed the different historical crises the sector has faced and the factors that allowed it to emerge stronger and with growth, in order to learn from past experiences.
2020 Season
The working session focused on addressing possible responses to the crisis. The Port of Tarragona is working to restart the cruise season as soon as possible, provided health conditions allow and with the utmost priority given to people's health. This is an attitude shared by all the stakeholders represented at the Cruise Roundtable.
All those in charge present agreed not to consider the 2020 season lost and to be able to implement the logistics with agility and safety from the first moment and, at the same time, to focus efforts on being prepared and positioned for the 2021 season, for which a great demand is currently detected, partly thanks to the promotion that is being done.
As of today, the start of the season is postponed until July, pending further developments. Under these circumstances, the 2020 cruise season is still projected to have up to 31 port calls with a total of 71,290 passengers on board.
October is the month with the highest number of cruises and passengers, with 11 ships and 27,730 passengers. As for cancellations in April, May, and—likely—June, these represent 22 cruises and 26,000 cruise passengers.
The Cruise Roundtable session also served to review the infrastructure projects the Port is developing. Construction of the Balearic Wharf, which began this May, will increase the cruise ship berthing line by 700 meters once completed, offering much more convenient and efficient operations and ultimately opening up new opportunities for the 2021 cruise season. The project is expected to be finished by spring 2021 and, once completed, will represent a significant leap forward, allowing the Port to accommodate larger cruise ships and more vessels simultaneously.
