Third Port & Destination Summit took place in Tenerife before Seatrade Cruise Med
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) hosted its third annual Port & Destination Summit in Santa Cruz, Tenerife on 20 September, a day before the city held Seatrade Cruise Med.
The summit brought together 225 delegates representing 27 countries worldwide, including executives from port authorities and agencies, tourism organisations, destination management companies and cruise lines.
More than 45 cruise line executives attended the full day of networking, one-to-one meetings, and high level discussions and debates. The keynote presentation was delivered by Michael Tamm, CEO of Costa Group, who highlighted the important role that port and destinations play within the cruise industry, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by the community.
“In an industry that is growing so rapidly, creating platforms for our partners to connect and build relationships is key to ensuring that we continue to work together as one,” said Giora Israel, senior vice president of global port and destination development at Carnival Corporation. “As someone who has been in the industry for many years, each time I attend this summit I make new connections and am continually impressed with the interactions and experiences I am able to participate in.”
Delegates also attended an interactive Itinerary Planning Workshop to discuss the challenges of deploying ships in different regions of the world.
“This year, we enhanced the summit to foster even more engagement and allowed participants to immerse themselves into the programme,” said Adam Sharp, manager of port operations and guest services for EMEA, at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “During the itinerary planning workshop, ports and destinations walked away with specific best practices as it relates to working more effectively with cruise lines, which is something that you can’t find anywhere else.”
CLIA will host its Executive Partner Summit on 13-15 November 2016 in Florida. The event will include a Port & Destination Forum as well as a Technical & Regulatory Forum.