The president of the Cartagena Port Authority, Yolanda Muñoz, the councilor for Tourism of the Cartagena City Council, Cristina Pérez, and the councilor for Tourism, Youth and Sports, Cristina Sánchez, presented this morning to the media the campaign “Cartagena, Safe Cruise Destination” and how the port is preparing to receive cruise ship calls.
In collaboration and coordination with the other administrations, and more closely with External Health and the Passenger Service, the Port of Cartagena has prepared itself together with the consignees, Agencia Marítima Blázquez and Bergé, to ensure that the arrival of cruise ships is safe for both passengers and the city.
In addition, a tourism promotion campaign has been designed that will be sent to all media specializing in cruise communication at the national and international level and to shipping companies.
Yolanda Muñoz emphasized that “the port of Cartagena, like all other ports, has been affected by a drastic reduction in cruise ship calls. At the beginning of the year, the forecast was to close 2020 with more than 160 calls and exceed 250,000 passengers, which would have been a new record for the city. These expectations have been dashed by the crisis caused by COVID-19.”.
Despite this, and according to experts in the sector, everyone agrees that this new situation following Covid-19 will bring with it distinct business opportunities, particularly for specialized, less crowded destinations focused on offering experiences, such as the alternatives offered by Cartagena. “Our port, our city, our region, offers this nearby, uncrowded destination with a wide range of cultural and gastronomic offerings, so we cannot afford to miss the opportunities this market offers, and we have prepared ourselves as a safe destination to receive cruise ships,” added the president.
The actions carried out range from adapting the terminal to the new health and safety protocols, health control of passengers and ground staff, training for each and every employee who accesses the terminal, to the quality certification of the facilities.
Thus, the Cruise Terminal and Maritime Station will have information in several languages on the health measures: mobile signage, illuminated signs and/or public address announcements; floor markings to indicate the minimum distance between people; thermometer, hand sanitizer dispenser, masks and waste disposal; a waiting area; a consultation room for the examination and recognition of the passenger; an isolation area for the passenger or crew member suspected of infection; and the disinfection of the terminal before and after a stop.
Health checks will be carried out on passengers suspected of having an infectious disease, as well as on ground staff including Port Police, Civil Guard, National Police, passenger services, tour operators, taxi drivers, tour guides, suppliers, etc. A medical team consisting of a doctor and a nurse will also be on hand, along with various equipment such as ultraviolet light for disinfecting luggage.
The Cartagena Port Authority currently holds the Covid-19 Protected Space Certification. This certification was granted following an audit that examined the approved and implemented procedures and prevention measures against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, certifying compliance with the contagion prevention measures and procedures as required by health authorities
Although some shipping companies such as Tui (Germany), Hurtigruten (Norway), Dream Cruises (Taiwan) and river cruise lines in Europe have begun to operate highly controlled itineraries, with passengers of the same nationality, stops in ports of the same country, reduced capacity, and preventive measures on board, it will not be until next year that most shipping companies will return to their activity.
The president emphasized that “the cruise industry is working tirelessly to design consistent health and safety protocols that give confidence to passengers and the health authorities of the countries they visit, but at the same time they need ports to assure them of that same confidence in the destination, which is why today we are presenting “Cartagena, Safe Cruise Destination”.
