Málaga has presented the next edition of Seatrade Cruise Med at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR). This event, one of the most important gatherings in the global cruise industry, will bring together leading cruise lines, tour operators, and other industry professionals. Postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic, the event will finally take place on September 14th and 15th at the Málaga Trade Fair and Congress Center (FYCMA).
The location, the options offered by the destination to organize activities complementary to the fair, the good air, rail and road connections, as well as the hotel capacity of the capital and the province, were the most important aspects for choosing Malaga as the venue for this important meeting.
Seatrade Cruise's Global Director of Events, Chiara Giorgi, commented that "the Mediterranean continues to be a key segment for the growth and evolution of cruise traffic," adding that "Seatrade Cruise Med will once again bring the industry together with a revamped program, providing valuable insights into market trends and technological advancements, and offering opportunities for collaboration to forge new connections.".
As a new feature, a varied program of activities will take place throughout the week in the urban and port environment, with the aim of raising awareness of the cruise industry among citizens and involving them in these events.
In this regard, the President of the Port Authority, Carlos Rubio, emphasized that “the event will involve all the citizens of Malaga, not just a specific professional sector, so we will be carrying out parallel activities so that everyone can join in the celebration.” He added that “by hosting the event two years late, we have had more time to devise the kind of fair we want and, in turn, adapt to the new demands of tourism.”.
All the activities of this professional meeting are coordinated by the Port Authority, the Tourism Area of the Malaga City Council, Tourism and Planning Costa del Sol and the Junta de Andalucía as promoters of the meeting, since the collaboration between the institutions that work together in the promotion of this segment has been fundamental to holding an event of this characteristics.
The Deputy Mayor of Malaga, Teresa Porras, highlighted that “hosting Seatrade Cruise Med is fantastic news for the city, as it will contribute to raising the profile and positioning of the destination.” She added, “It will also help consolidate the Port of Malaga as a home port and attract new cruise calls. Furthermore, it serves as further proof that the city is versatile and equipped to host all kinds of conferences and professional events.”.
For his part, the President of the Málaga Provincial Council, Francisco Salado, confirmed that “Málaga and the Costa del Sol continue to gradually recover activity in the cruise sector. For many months, all the stakeholders involved—shipping companies, the port, tour operators, shipping agents, tour operators, and the destination authorities—have done their homework to adapt to a new scenario, so we are more than prepared to guarantee the safety and well-being of cruise passengers, as well as to host the event we are presenting today.”.
Subsequently, the Secretary General for Tourism of the Andalusian Regional Government, Manuel Muñoz, considered that the celebration of Seatrade Cruise Med in Malaga “will represent an opportunity to continue advancing in the promotion of this province and Andalusia in general, but also an excellent occasion to boost the business of companies in the region, to generate commercial contacts and, consequently, to contribute to the economy and employment in the community.”.
Seatrade Cruise Med will give Málaga and other ports in the region significant visibility as a top-tier cruise destination. The event will also reinforce Spain's role as one of Europe's leading cruise destinations. In this regard, the President of State Ports, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, reiterated the organization's support, stating that it represents "a great opportunity to highlight Spain's importance in the international cruise sector and the strong commitment of Spanish ports, such as Málaga, to innovation and sustainability to strengthen competitiveness.".
Finally, the President of Medcruise, Figen Ayan, said she was “very grateful to meet the Malaga team, with whom we always work together to promote cruise tourism from the association.”.
It is also worth highlighting the support of collaborators such as Global Ports Holding, City Sightseeing and Suncruise Andalucía, who will contribute to making the event a success, and to which more entities may be added during the current year.
Over the past few years, Malaga has generated great interest in the sector as the venue for this meeting, so institutions and companies will join all their efforts to exceed the expectations of the attending professionals.
The last edition, held in Lisbon in 2018, brought together more than 4,300 attendees from 89 countries. All of them were professionals in various sectors of the industry. It also featured the participation of 30 shipping companies.
