Francesca Antonelli, head of cruises at the Port Authority of Valencia (APV), has been elected the new senior vice president of the Mediterranean Cruise Ports Association (MedCruise). The elections were held during the 59th MedCruise Assembly in Barcelona, where Figen Ayan, director of Galataport Istanbul, was appointed the Association's new president.
The new Medcruise board also includes Lorenzo Vera, representing the Port of Motril, who was elected vice president, and Elisa Zamora from the Port of Tenerife. Antonelli, who ran for the position alongside representatives from the ports of Tenerife, Sardinia, Genoa, and Civitavecchia, congratulated all the members of the new board and the representatives from the various ports who participated in the assembly. “We will continue working with all stakeholders to adapt to the changing times and needs of both the industry and the cities that host cruise passengers, offering new experiences at our destinations with all the necessary safety guarantees.”.
Along these lines, the General Assembly also outlined new lines of work focused on actions to fully restore normality to cruise operations after the COVID-19 pandemic.
MedCruise's mission is to promote the cruise industry in the Mediterranean and its adjacent seas. The Association helps its members benefit from the growth of the cruise industry by providing networking, promotional, and professional development opportunities. It was established in 1996 through a collaborative agreement between 16 ports in seven different countries. Today, the Association spans 21 countries, represents 140 ports, and has 34 members
MedCruise this year recognized Valenciaport's work during the pandemic for its social media strategy, an award that acknowledges the work carried out in 2020 by the Valencia port community during the COVID-19 pandemic and the support for the cruise sector in a difficult year for this industry.
An activity that, after 15 months, resumed on June 27 with the arrival in the city of the Mein Schiff 2. Cruise operations comply with the safety and prevention measures included in the “COVID-19 Control and Prevention Protocol for Cruises on Passenger Ships Docking in Ports of the Valencian Community” established by the Ministry of Health.
The city of Valencia is a medium-sized and sustainable cruise destination, with annual growth of 2%, approximately 400,000 visitors, and 200 port calls per year. Thus, the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) had projected around 450,000 tourists for this year in a typical pre-COVID-19 year. Following the pandemic-induced slowdown, the sector is returning to normal, and the port calls expected in this last quarter of the year reflect figures similar to a typical year.
