Valenciaport is participating in the 60th General Assembly of the Mediterranean Cruise Ports Association (MedCruise), which is being held these days in the ports of Palamós and Roses on the Costa Brava. Cruise lines, tour operators, port authorities with cruise traffic, and tourism boards from various countries are present at this event to discuss issues affecting the cruise industry, such as sustainability, innovation, digitalization, and attracting new passengers.
Francesca Antonelli, Head of Cruises and Marketing at the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) and Senior Vice President of MedCruise, moderated, together with Lorenzo Vera, Manager of the Port of Motril and Vice President of MedCruise, the inaugural session 'Trends in the Med' of the Assembly.
Francesca Antonelli highlighted Valencia's positioning as "a medium-sized, sustainable, and experience-based cruise port that attracts the attention of the family cruise sector, but also the luxury and business sectors," and emphasized the importance of this forum "to learn, discuss, and work in a coordinated manner among all stakeholders in the sector to improve cruise activity and the cities where cruises make port calls.".
The panelists agreed that Mediterranean ports were quicker than other regions to reopen cruise ships, doing a great job during the pandemic, and that the sector will be fully recovered by 2023. In this regard, Francesca Antonelli highlighted that “in Valencia we have already surpassed the numbers of port calls and passengers we had in 2019, the pre-pandemic year.”.
The sector's strategy to ensure cruise tourists have complete confidence and security has also been highlighted.
During this Assembly, the port community operating in Valencia expanded its presence in MedCruise with the addition of the Valenciaport Foundation and the company Reciclamás as members. Luis Mas, CEO of Reciclamás, explained that the firm will contribute its expertise in integrated waste management to the cruise industry. Carolina Navarro, Director of Port-City, Mobility, and Cruises at the Valenciaport Foundation, noted that the institution's objective is to promote innovation in the cruise sector in a sustainable manner.
