The cruise industry will gather again at the International Cruise Summit on December 1st and 2nd, and Santander Cruise Deluxe will have a prominent presence as an official sponsor.
The Port Authority, the Santander City Council, and the Regional Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, and Tourism of the Government of Cantabria are determined to promote the arrival of cruise ships to the city as soon as these impressive vessels begin sailing again. With the entire global cruise fleet virtually paralyzed during the pandemic, they are slowly beginning to sail with reinforced health and hygiene protocols that include coronavirus testing before boarding for all passengers and crew, specific assistance insurance, and onboard activities adapted to social distancing and relevant health measures.
When cruise ships return to the seas, Santander aims to become their leading port on the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Around 200 cruise ships sail through the Bay of Biscay annually, mostly originating from or destined for the port of Southampton, southwest of London. Attracting this traffic to Santander is the objective behind the creation of the Santander Cruise Deluxe brand, which will be officially launched at the International Cruise Summit.
This event, celebrating its tenth edition this year, has significant international relevance, attracting presidents of North American and European cruise lines, as well as top executives responsible for planning routes for the coming years, shipping agents, tour operators, and other industry stakeholders. Santander Cruise Deluxe's sponsorship will be particularly prominent in the panel on small luxury cruises, where four executives from cruise lines specializing in this market niche will participate.
Various studies estimate that each cruise passenger spends over €60 in the city if they visit independently, but this figure rises to between €150 and €200 if they book an excursion. These excursions typically involve the tour operator arranging local buses, official guides, entrance fees to tourist attractions, and so on. Promoting cruise passenger mobility within Cantabria is another objective, taking advantage of the region's proximity to its tourist attractions. Furthermore, these ships generate additional revenue for the city in the form of port fees, pilotage charges, mooring fees, supplies, and other services.
Over the last decade, cruise tourism has grown remarkably, with an average of a dozen new ships launched each year. The number of passengers reached 30 million annually in 2019, compared to just 17.8 million ten years earlier. However, this growth has also fueled controversy surrounding this mode of travel, which has been accused of contributing to the overtourism of cities like Venice and of being highly polluting. The truth is that of the 25 million tourists Venice receives, only 1.4 million are cruise passengers, and that international legislation on atmospheric emissions has become so stringent in the last decade that cruise lines have had to develop and install gas scrubbers in their smokestacks. These systems achieve reductions of up to 97% in sulfur oxide pollutants, as well as significant reductions in nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. But there are already ships sailing using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel, which emits no sulfur oxides, reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 85%, and CO2 emissions by 20%. Many of the cruise ships to be built in the coming years will use LNG as fuel. In this regard, it should be noted that the Port of Santander has received a €4.3 million grant from the European Union to design and build an LNG bunkering terminal that will be operational by March 2023. Furthermore, the ferry docking area will be relocated to the Maliaño Docks, leaving the Almirante Dock and the Maritime Station exclusively for cruise ships.
Not only have polluting emissions from cruise ships been significantly reduced, but cruise lines have been racing for years to save energy on board and emit less CO2. By 2020, many of the major cruise lines had completely eliminated single-use plastics on board, something that, unfortunately, the pandemic has temporarily reversed.
Along with the sponsorship of the International Cruise Summit, cruise industry executives from around the world will soon receive a series of special newsletters highlighting the attractions that the city and the Autonomous Community of Cantabria have to offer, and the first meetings with shipping company executives are already planned.
