By
Alex Smith |
Seatrade Cruise Med came to a close on 12 September after more than 2000 attendees participated in two days of conference sessions and networking at the Trade Fairs & Congress Centre in Malaga, Spain, inspired by the theme of ‘Partnering for Progress.’
The conference began with a series of opening addresses, including the final speeches of Marie-Caroline Laurent, director-general of CLIA Europe, and Figen Ayan, president of MedCruise, as they leave their respective roles. Laurent and Ayan emphasised the growth of the cruise industry in Europe and the Mediterranean in the past year, with passenger numbers in 2023 seven per cent higher than in 2019, as well as presenting a hopeful outlook for the future of the industry.
“As we gather again in 2024, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment, when action, innovation and resilience have been our guiding lights,” said Ayan. “Each ship we serve and every experience we deliver to the passengers and crew on our ports is pushing us to find inspiration in the unknown. Our success lies not in standing still, but in moving forward with courage and creativity.”
Ayan and Laurent were then joined by Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises, Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, and Chris Theophillides, CEO of Celestyal Cruises for the conference’s keynote sessions. The panel again highlighted the improved performance of the cruise industry over the first half of 2024, before discussing the challenges the cruise lines and ports are facing to successfully transition to sustainable operations.
Theophillides highlighted the difficulties for a mid-sized cruise line in implementing sustainability technology, calling for research and development to go “to another level” in ensuring the viability of such technology for smaller scale operation. Meier, on the other hand, presented the progress of TUI in launching its first methanol-ready ship, Maya, and a 200 per cent increase in the cruise line’s use of shore power facilities in 2024. Laurent called on ports to quickly begin investment in shore power in the face of the introduction of EU emissions regulations such as the Emissions Trading System (ETS, though Ayan emphasised the difficulty for ports in securing the necessary funding and correct solutions to do so. Zanetti emphasised the need for the EU’s revenue from the introduction of the ETS for shipping to be invested within the shipping industry if further technological innovations were to be made.
More than 2000 attendees were at the event in Malaga, Spain
Following the opening keynote session, the conference agenda covered a wide variety of topics relevant to the mediterranean cruise industry, ranging from the ways in which ports can immerse guests in their destination and the current progress in decarbonisation efforts for shipbuilding and vessel design to the power of social media in promoting a destination. One session, ‘Common Ground: Port Association Dialogue,’ saw a joint statement made by MedCruise, Cruise Norway, Cruise Baltic, Cruise Europe and Cruise Britain that they would collaborate to promote sustainable growth in the cruise industry, recognising concerns about over tourism in Europe.
The show floor, meanwhile, featured over 180 exhibitors, discussing their latest projects and services. Among the exhibitors was Le Havre Croisieres, which highlighted the ongoing construction of its three new cruise terminal facilities, which will allow it to receive up to 13,500 passengers a day upon its completion in early 2026. Ports from the Faroe Islands appeared at just their second cruise event as the combined Cruise Faroe Islands, presenting the opportunities for expedition cruise lines to visit the country on their polar voyages. The European port associations and operators maintained large presences throughout the event, with MedCruise, the Ports of Spain, CruiseItaly and Cruise Baltic among those showcasing their member ports. Ports from outside Europe also attended the conference, with stands hosted by Cruise Arabia, the Pacific Ports of Japan, the Caribbean, Uruguay, Venezuela, and more.
Though Seatrade Cruise Med came to an end with a Sailaway Party on 12 September, events continued in Malaga with the 65th MedCruise General Assembly. Theodora Riga, chief commercial officer and director of strategic communications at the Port of Thessaloniki, was elected as the newest president of MedCruise by the assembled port representatives, along with the appointment of a new board of directors for the 2024-27 term.
“I firmly believe in the value of collective action, or as we say in Greek ‘it is in unity, we stand strong,’” said Riga. “With a vision to continue the work we have done so well, we are going to upgrade our activities and achieve even more, together, while ensuring the responsible development of cruising and benefiting all Mediterranean ports and destinations.”
MedCruise’s new board of directors for the 2024-27 term