The Mexican group ITM Group showed its interest in investing 1.8 million euros in the construction of a cruise terminal and the rehabilitation of commercial premises in the marina to support said terminal, and the Port Authority of Melilla, after analyzing that the project aligns with its growth objectives, has granted it a concession for 25 years.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 74 – September 2025
ITM Group is a family-owned company based in Cancún, with over 30 years of experience in the port sector and more than 50 years in the construction and development of port facilities and infrastructure. It is responsible for prominent projects in the Caribbean such as Costa Maya in Mexico; Taino Bay in the Dominican Republic; Port Roatán in Honduras; and the recently inaugurated Port Cabo Rojo in the southern Dominican Republic, among others.
The Board of Directors of the Port Authority unanimously approved the application submitted by MDT, a company belonging to the ITM Group, for the construction of 10 commercial units in currently disused facilities at the Noray Marina, and a cruise passenger terminal next to the Mineral Loading Dock. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year.
Some legal issues had to be resolved, since since 2010, the company ETM has had the exclusive right to operate passenger services in Melilla, but an agreement has been reached with the company to cede powers of its license exclusively for cruise traffic at the loading dock and, exceptionally, at the Northeast-2 and Northeast-3 docks in the event that ships of larger lengths than those that the Mineral Loading Dock can accommodate dock.
The president of the Port Authority highlighted that the approval of the concession (which affects 1,465.95 m² spread across ten premises in the marina and 463 m² destined for a new passenger control building next to the mineral loading dock, a Cultural Heritage Site) marks the starting point of a project worked on for ten months.
In the first phase, the currently vacant premises, several of which have been inactive for 28 years, will be adapted to house restaurants, souvenir shops, and basic services. The small, single-story building, designed to avoid casting shadows on the historic loading dock, will house the passenger disembarkation control point. “It is gratifying that these premises, unused for decades, will finally generate activity and contribute to the Port Authority's revenue,” said Manuel Angel Quevedo.
Melilla has an upward trajectory in cruise traffic, with 4,000 cruise passengers in 2023 and 9,000 in 2024, but these figures will fall far short from 2027 onwards, when the company estimates receiving more than 80,000 passengers and reaching 150,000 in 2030.
In the coming days, the vice president of ITM Group will visit Melilla along with two managers of commercial areas and other "parallel activities" that the group will offer to cruise passengers when they dock in the autonomous city.
“We want Melilla to be known by the English, Germans, French, and Americans; we want them to know about our European reality and the richness of our historical heritage,” Quevedo concluded.
MANUEL ÁNGEL QUEVEDO, PRESIDENT OF THE MELILLA PORT AUTHORITY:
The ITM Group project will undoubtedly be a turning point in the history of the Port of Melilla. When will we begin to see construction or changes, and what is the timeline?
The building permit has just been requested from the Autonomous City, and we must approve the Construction Project, as only the Basic Project has been submitted so far. I imagine we will have to wait at least a few months before we see the first construction work begin.
The timeline presented by ITM is for 12 months of construction, which, in our opinion, is a very conservative estimate. In short, we expect construction to begin in the fourth quarter of this year and be completed in the third or fourth quarter of next year.
How has the project been received by the people of Melilla?
With great enthusiasm. Although we kept the project very discreet until we were quite certain of its viability, once launched into the public eye, it was very well received. We have already presented the project several times to local media, associations, and social groups, and we believe it can be very positive for Melilla's economy.
And what about the shipping companies? Have they already given us feedback on the project?
In that respect, ITM itself has ensured that they have. A company like this doesn't commit to a 25-year project unless it's quite certain that the shipping companies will support and embrace it. Perhaps the best evidence of this is the two letters of commitment from two shipping companies to call regularly in Melilla, or the calls they're already confirming for 2026 and 2027. We're truly pleasantly surprised.
The anticipated increase in port calls will bring with it greater tourist activity, requiring more guides, buses, and so on. To what extent will the Melilla authorities be involved in supporting this development?
In this regard, the commitment is absolute, both from the Autonomous City itself and from the various administrations that will participate in the operations and port calls. The guide associations, the bus company, travel agencies, shipping agents—in general, all parties that will interact with tourists—have already begun taking steps to adapt to the growth that, if all goes well, is on the horizon.
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