Europe's leading international cruise industry trade fair will return to the Canary Islands ten years later, thanks to the efforts of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, consolidating the port as a global benchmark in the sector.
The president of the Port Authority, Beatriz Calzada, emphasizes that “hosting Seatrade Med 2026 is a unique opportunity to showcase the tourism and port potential of the Canary Islands to the main international shipping companies.”
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Wednesday, September 11, 2025
Seatrade Med, the largest European event dedicated to the cruise industry, will hold its 2026 edition in the Port of Las Palmas, which will become the epicenter of the sector on September 23 and 24 of next year. The event returns to the Canary Islands a decade later, after having been held in Tenerife in 2016, thanks to the efforts of the Port Authority of Las Palmas and Global Ports, through its cruise operator Global Ports Canary Islands, institutions that have successfully brought this international gathering back to the archipelago.
The fair, which brings together thousands of professionals, shipping company managers, and experts from around the world, is the most influential forum for the cruise industry, with themed areas dedicated to innovation, sustainability, shipbuilding, port equipment, security, entertainment, and hotel operations. Its hosting in the Port of Las Palmas will directly boost the Port Authority's international profile and generate a significant economic return for the Canary Islands, by attracting decision-makers and companies from more than 90 countries.
The president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada, expressed her pride that the Archipelago is once again hosting the most important trade fair in the cruise industry: “After ten years, Seatrade Med returns to the Canary Islands thanks to the Port Authority of Las Palmas, a leader in cruises in the Archipelago and the third busiest port in Spain for this traffic.”.
From January to August 2025, 1,207,084 cruise passengers and 464 port calls were recorded, representing increases of 22.5% and 30.3% respectively compared to the previous year. “These figures confirm the sustained growth of our ports, especially the Port of Las Palmas, and consolidate its position as a benchmark in the Mid-Atlantic,” he noted, adding: “The fact that the Port Authority of Las Palmas will host the next Seatrade Europe is a unique opportunity to showcase our potential—the potential of our port, our city, and our island—to shipping lines, operators, and service providers. This will further enhance our economy through the growth of the destination, job and wealth creation, and its consolidation as a homeport.”.
The announcement was made at Seatrade Europe 2025 in Hamburg, which is proving to be an international success with over 250 exhibitors and 3,500 participants. The positive reception of this edition reinforces the expectations of the Port Authority of Las Palmas for 2026, when the trade fair will be held at the Port of Las Palmas.
For his part, Francisco Javier González Díaz, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure for the Government of the Canary Islands, emphasized the significance of the designation and the role of the Port Authority: “It has been an honor to represent the Government of the Canary Islands at this important event and to see the announcement that the Port Authority of Las Palmas will host Seatrade Med 2026. It is a privilege and an honor for the port, for Gran Canaria, and for the Canary Islands. The Government will support, assist, and collaborate in every way necessary to ensure that, together, we make it a success.”.
In Hamburg, the traditional handover ceremony was also held, in which the president of the Port Authority of Malaga, Carlos Rubio Basabe, officially handed over the baton to the Port Authority of Las Palmas for the organization of the next edition of Seatrade Med in the Port of Las Palmas.
This designation comes with the support of broad institutional and public-private collaboration: the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Port Authority of Las Palmas and the operator Global Ports Canary Islands have already expressed their support to coordinate logistics, promotion, mobility and services, maximizing the economic impact that the fair will leave.
Seatrade Med 2026 will attract industry leaders, foster international cooperation and consolidate relationships with the world's leading shipping companies, reinforcing the role of the Port of Las Palmas as one of the strategic hubs for cruise tourism in Europe and the Mid-Atlantic.
Follow cruise news at Cruisesnews.es
