The president of the Port Authority of Seville, Rafael Carmona, has been appointed today as the new president of Suncruise Andalucía, the association made up of the port authorities of Algeciras, Almería, Cádiz, Huelva, Málaga, Motril and Seville, and by the Public Agency of Ports of Andalusia.
In his address, Rafael Carmona highlighted the coordination among Andalusian ports, stating that “together, we are moving forward to position Andalusia as a leading cruise destination.” He also expressed his gratitude for the outstanding work of his predecessor, José García Fuentes, President of the Motril Port Authority, and announced the association's main initiatives for 2022.
One of the key events is participation in the Seatrade Global Miami , which will be held in April. Furthermore, it was noted that the region will host the Mediterranean's international cruise trade fair, Seatrade Cruise Med 2022, for the first time. This event, to be held in Malaga on September 14 and 15, is one of the most important gatherings in the sector and will bring together leading cruise lines, tour operators , and travel agents.
On the other hand, it has announced the upcoming CITCA Suncruise forums in Cadiz at the end of March and in Almeria in May; and has reviewed the event held in Huelva at the beginning of March, which highlighted the role of women in the cruise industry.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Development, Infrastructure, and Territorial Planning, Marifrán Carazo. The outgoing president of Suncruise, José García Fuentes, reviewed the past year, which was marked by the pandemic. Also present were the other presidents of the Andalusian port authorities: Gerardo Landaluce, Jesús Caicedo, Teófila Martínez, Pilar Miranda, and Carlos Rubio; the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Regeneration, Justice, and Local Administration, Manuel Alejandro Cadente; and the manager of the Public Ports Agency of Andalusia, Rafael Merino.
After the media event, the Board of Directors and the General Assembly of Suncruise Andalucía were held and the presidents visited the Port of Seville.
Rafael Carmona has outlined the forecasts for cruise tourism at the Port of Seville, stating that more than 40 port calls are expected, not including the traditional calls of the Belle de Cádiz. “The Port of Seville is working hard to attract high-end and mid-sized cruise ships, as well as to increase the length of stay of these vessels in the capital of Andalusia.” Regarding the April Fair week, the president announced that “we have received requests from megayachts and two cruise ship calls.”.
