CLIA notes that the investment made by the Port of Barcelona and the various shipping companies to comply with the agreement reached between the Port Authority and the Barcelona City Council in 2018 to reduce the number of cruise terminals to seven and relocate them will reach 265 million euros.
The agreement includes the relocation of cruise ships to the Muelle Adosado to move this activity away from the city center, as well as a comprehensive renovation of the Paseo Colón and the Moll de la Fusta.
CLIA's director in Spain, Alfredo Serrano, states that "at the time, the City Council welcomed this agreement, believing it capped the growth of cruise activity, reducing the number of terminals and ships from eight to seven." With the arrival of the pandemic, "tourism activity ground to a halt, so the full impact of this agreement is not yet apparent," Serrano explains. "It seems reasonable, therefore, that now that the situation is beginning to normalize after the pandemic, we allow time for this commitment to be implemented. Good collaboration and stable planning are essential ingredients for cities to maintain future investments," he concludes.
CLIA also highlights that cruise ship activity is responsible for only 0.7% of nitrogen oxide emissions and 0.16% of particulate matter, according to estimates made by the Port of Barcelona based on a study prepared by Barcelona Regional in 2019. This contribution represents a 10% decrease compared to 2016 and will be reduced to zero in the coming years, when the electrification work on the docks being carried out by the Port Authority of Barcelona is completed.
Net zero carbon emissions target
Currently, 40% of the global cruise fleet is already equipped with the systems necessary to connect to the electrical grid. It is anticipated that by 2026, the port will be ready for cruise ships to connect to the electrical grid in Barcelona. The goal is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Progress has also been made in the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), currently the most sustainable marine fuel available. It is estimated that 35% of cruise ship tourists arriving in Barcelona in 2023 will travel on ships powered by this fuel, which allows for a near-total reduction in emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen and sulfur oxides.
Growing homeport activity
Currently, Barcelona's main cruise activity is as a home port, meaning passengers who start and finish their trip in the city, which will represent 58% of the movements that will occur throughout 2023.
Serrano assures that the cruise industry “is willing to discuss its impact on Barcelona with any competent authority or body, but always based on verifiable and rigorous data, as well as contributing everything necessary to help achieve optimal tourism management in the city as a whole: after all, our industry is the first interested in avoiding undesirable phenomena such as the congestion of certain spaces.”
In this regard, he also states that the Cruise Sustainability Council, promoted by the Port Authority, can become the ideal vehicle to guide this path towards management. We must choose whether we opt for sterile debates that lead nowhere or transform Barcelona into a successful model for cruise tourism management and an example for other destinations. The industry is very clear about the option it prefers.”.
For its part, CLIA defends itself against accusations of destroying the planet, stating that its activities are only responsible […]