Last 19th February Málagaport launched Málaga Cruise Bureau, a meeting point for companies and institutions interested in the cruise traffic of the Port of Málaga, with the main goal of creating some collaborating strategies to consolidate the city as a cruise destination.
The President of Málagaport and the Port Authority of Málaga, Mr. Enrique Linde and the Managing Director of Málagaport, Mr. Sebastián Camps, welcomed the audience, giving the latest figures of cruise traffic in the port and defining the action lines of Málaga Cruise Bureau.
The figures
Cruise traffic in the Port of Málaga has improved in the last years and, consequently, has had an obvious economical repercussion in the city. The great importance of the Port Authority's investments both in facilities and promotion is giving excellent results. These figures show the increase of 2008's cruise traffic compared to 2007's:
2007 2008 Var.
Calls 240 268 11%
Passengers 292,567 352,875 21%
Homeport passengers 12,841 27,471 114%
Homeport calls 24 35 46%
These figures reveal the importance of the Port of Málaga as a cruise destination, being the second of the peninsula in this kind of traffic, behind Barcelona.
Moreover, The Port of Málaga has superbly forecasts for 2009, due to the 306 calls foreseen for the current year (it means an increase of 14% related to 2008) and 450,000 passengers (an increase of 27,5% compared to last year). As a home port, Málaga has an increase of 16%.
In this way, Mr. Enrique Linde declared the necessity of "doing efforts for not disappointing the great expectations in cruise traffic the Port of Málaga has both at national and international levels".
Málaga, a cruise destination
Adapting the port facilities to the new demands is important, and that point is being met by the Port of Málaga, enjoying also a privileged geographical location.
On the other hand, the destination plays a very important role too. The city and the province have an interesting position, the communications by air and land are excellent and the offer of our surrounding tourist attractions gives a lot of possibilities. However, some strategies to receive that increasing cruise traffic must be developed. The congestion in the city -accesses, visits, bus parks, etc.- or the commercial timetable should fit for a better reception of cruisers.
The idea of Málaga Cruise Bureau is born from this need, which was introduced by the Managing Director of Málagaport, Mr. Sebastián Camps.
Málaga Cruise Bureau
Málagaport, as a company responsible for the communication and promotion of cruise traffic in the Port of Málaga, among other tasks, proposes Málaga Cruise Bureau with the goal of gathering all parts interested in this kind of traffic. It intends to join forces in order to create strategies, suggest actions and offer the best tools to consolidate and increase the arrival of passengers and vessels in Málaga.
It is an instrument that is born to become a forum, a discussion table which will be a platform helping cruise traffic in the Port of Málaga.
In his speech, Mr. Sebastián Camps emphasized the interest of the shipping lines and travel agents in this kind of actions, "in the next edition of Seatrade Miami, Port of Málaga's stand will show an exhibition panel of Málaga Cruise Bureau with the slogan All together now".
Málaga Cruise Bureau is made up of Málagaport members specially interested in cruise traffic, which are the following:
Shipping Agents: Agencia Condeminas; Marmedsa
Official Institutions: Port Authority; Town Hall of Málaga; SOPDE (Diputación Provincial); Chamber of Commerce
Operators: Cruceros Málaga; Cia Ad. Remolcadores; Shiprovision; Mario López
Financial Institutions: Unicaja
Water front & City: EPSA (Junta de Andalucía) "Muelle 2"; Unión de Iniciativas Marina de la Farola "Muelle 1"; El Corte Inglés; Museo Picasso
Transports: EMT; AENA
Tourism: Patronato de Turismo de la Costa del Sol; Grupo Raytur; APIT Málaga; Iberoservice
Communication Companies: Contacto Publicidad; Avanza Comunicación
If you want to join Málaga Cruise Bureau, you must fill in the form in the "How to join Málagaport" section from our web site.
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