During Seatrade Cruise Global, President MedCruiseFigen Ayan presented the latest data confirming the Mediterranean as the second largest cruise market in the world.
MedCruise had a significant impact during Seatrade Cruise Global 2024 in Miami on April 9 and 10 through several events: Figen Ayan led the presentation “Trends in the Mediterranean”, while Valeria Mangiarotti and Jamil Ouazzani presented the results of the survey on the sustainability of Mediterranean ports.
Figen Ayan, president of MedCruise, took to the stage on April 9 at Seatrade Cruise Global 2024 in Miami to address the main developments and trends within the cruise industry, focusing on both global and Mediterranean perspectives.
During the first half of the conference, Figen analyzed the global trends shaping the cruise industry, highlighting the main sailing regions and the dominant cruise lines by market share during 2023 and 2024.
In addition, he examined specific trends in the Mediterranean and its surrounding regions: the Canary Islands, the Atlantic, and the Red Sea. Figen also devoted considerable attention to analyzing the evolution of specific trends in MedCruise ports.
In particular, it was highlighted that the Mediterranean and its adjacent seas maintain their position as the world's second largest cruise market, with a market share of 21.5% and more than 7 million passengers.
The region has returned to pre-pandemic levels, witnessing a 6.59% increase in passenger calls and a 7.91% increase in cruise calls in 2023 compared to 2019. Furthermore, all major cruise lines maintain their presence in the Mediterranean and its adjacent seas.
In the second part of her presentation, the President of MedCruiseaddressed the initiatives undertaken by MedCruise under her leadership, from 2021 to 2024.
He emphasized the importance given during his term to fostering connections within the sector through activities and events organized by MedCruise that facilitated networking opportunities between members, cruise lines, executives and media representatives.
MedCruise's commitment to promoting a holistic approach to sustainability within the sector was also highlighted, mentioning various projects and initiatives led during its tenure.
As the cruise industry continues to face new challenges and opportunities, MedCruise remains critical to fostering connectivity, networking opportunities, and sustainability.
Sustainability
MedCruise's participation in Seatrade Cruise Global 2024 also included the presentation on April 9 by Valeria Mangiarotti, Technical Director of Environmental Solutions, and Jamil Ouazzani, Director of Ecosystems, Sustainability, Wildlife and Biodiversity, on the results of the survey on the sustainability of Mediterranean ports.
This survey, which involved 51 Mediterranean ports, focused on the development of Environmental Monitoring Program projects, Onshore Energy Supply projects, port footprint assessment, CSR and socio-economic impacts, as well as the availability of alternative fuels.
The survey aims to provide an overview of the situation in MedCruise member ports regarding environmental protection and biodiversity, as ports worldwide are under increasing pressure to safeguard and maintain the integrity of their ecosystems, not only by reconciling port development and environmental protection, but also by seeking to ensure positive relationships between communities and ports.
The main findings of this survey reveal that 29% of Mediterranean ports currently offer shore power supply (OPS) for cruise ships, and that 94% of those that do not offer it are prepared to do so before 2030.
Furthermore, 27% of these ports offer LNG supply, and 81% intend to offer this service by 2030. Other noteworthy statistics indicate that 88% of the surveyed ports have implemented Environmental Monitoring Programs, 92% are actively mitigating carbon emissions, and 57% have monitoring initiatives aimed at safeguarding terrestrial and marine biodiversity.
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