MedCruise focuses on sustainable development. Cruise ports unite forces

By Marek Grzybowski

During the Common Ground: Port Association Dialogue session at the Seatrade Cruise Med conference in Malaga in September, five European and Mediterranean port associations serving cruise ship operators issued a joint statement of commitment to promoting sustainable growth. During the 65th MedCruise General Assembly, held in Malaga, Spain, as part of Seatrade Cruise Med 2024, Theodora Riga was elected President of MedCruise.

Source: MedCruise

During the conference and thematic panels, the importance of transparency and cooperation between members, partners and stakeholders in order to introduce innovative solutions was emphasized. It was emphasized that the common goal of the activities is to ensure that the maritime tourism industry harmonizes with both the urban environment and the regions. However, it cannot be hidden that under the umbrella of sustainable development lies the creation of a competitive advantage based on a diversified offer for different age groups of sea tourists.
One of the most important sessions entitled “Common Ground: Port Association Dialogue” was attended by representatives of the leading port organizations serving sea tourists. Seatrade Cruise Med. was attended by: MedCruise CEO Figen Ayan, the host of the conference, Monica Berstad from Cruise Norway, Klaus Bondam from Cruise Baltic, Simone Tommaso Maraschi from Cruise Europe and Ian McQuade from Cruise Britain.

Copenhagen dominates the Baltic Sea
The fact that 2024 will be no worse was announced by bookings for the upcoming season. For example, in Copenhagen, the destination has bookings secured for all 12 months of the year and over 50 cruises between October 2024 and April 2025, which is an exceptional rarity in the Northern European region. Gdynia and Gdańsk and other Baltic ports can only dream of such occupancy. We wrote about tourism in the Baltic Sea here

Copenhagen has also been a destination for cruise operators to book numerous inaugural cruises. In 2024, Cunard’s Queen Anne, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 7, Albatros Expeditions’ Ocean Albatross, Azamara’s Azamara Onward and Villa Vie Residences’ Villa Vey Odyssey (formerly Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Braemar) were among 10 ships to call at Copenhagen’s passenger terminal for the first time.

Cruise operators often use Copenhagen as a port of call for passenger and crew exchange and supplies. This is due to the well-equipped international airport. It is worth noting that there are flexible facilities at the three Ocean Quay cruise terminals and the centrally located facilities at Langelinie Pier and Nordre Toldbod.
For tour operators, the announcement that Copenhagen Malmö Port intends to achieve carbon neutrality in its passenger operations in the near future is extremely important. The port authority is firmly committed to ensuring that by 2025, passenger ships in all terminals will be able to use shore-based power.

Mediterranean ports – high growth
The first reports from the Mediterranean show that passenger tourism is regaining its market. For example, the port of Heraklion is recording a historically high number of passenger visits. According to available data, from January to August 2024, the number of cruise passengers reached 348,249. This is a significant increase compared to 2023, when the number in the same period was 233,783 – as reported by the Heraklion Port Authority.
For example, in July 2024, 39 cruise ships arrived, bringing a total of 91,615 passengers, while in August 2024, 35 ships arrived with 89,863 passengers. For comparison, in July and August 2022, there were 31 berths with 50,245 passengers and 25 passenger ships with 49,114 passengers, respectively. This means an increase of 82.34% and 82.97% – informs the Heraklion Port Authority.
From January to the end of August 2024, 171 cruise ship arrivals were recorded with a total of 348,249 passengers, compared to 150 berths with 233,783 passengers in 2023. This means a passenger growth rate of 48.96% – the Heraklion Port Authority calculated precisely.

Malta – 30% more cruises
In Malta, the number of cruise passengers in the second quarter of 2024 was 273,900, an increase of 21.6% compared to the same quarter last year – informs the National Statistics Office Malta.
In the second quarter of 2024, 128 cruise ships called at the Valetta passenger port, an increase of 30% compared to the same quarter of 2023. Tourists from Italy and Germany were the two largest EU markets to visit Malta in the second quarter of 2024.
Total cruise passenger traffic in the first half of 2024 reached 350,462 people, an increase of 17.9% compared to the same period in 2023. In the first half of 2024, 147 cruise ships called at the port, an increase of 28% compared to the same period in the previous year.

The main focus of tourists is La Valetta and the city’s attractions with the Maritime Museum. However, there are also organized trips to the surrounding islands, as well as trips to places such as the islands of Gozo and Comino, the Blue Lagoon and a trip to the sea caves. The main attraction remains the historic port of Malta, which has been known for its strategic importance since the time of the Phoenicians and Arab traders.

Not only profits are the most important thing
Cruise operators are focused not only on increasing profits. There is also a need to minimize the negative impact of tourism on the environment. Association managers have noticed problems with the dynamically growing tourism in Europe and its negative impact on the natural environment. They have reached the same conclusions as UK tour operators, who also warn against overly aggressive tourism that threatens the environment. We wrote about it here

The associations of ports serving maritime tourism have decided to focus on developing a strategy for sustainable development. They say they will adapt tourism to the needs of the communities of cities and regions that are already taking active steps to protect the environment. Some are even going so far as to restrict access to certain attractions and even to the city. As Venice is doing, for example.

– By joining forces and collaborating with cruise lines, CLIA and other key stakeholders, we are committed to championing a responsible approach to cruising – one that benefits our guests, respects our communities, protects our natural heritage and fragile environments, and contributes positively to local economies – says Med. Cruise in a press release after the conference in Malaga.

The MedCruise CEO also participated in the “State of the Mediterranean Industry” session, which brought together leading industry leaders to discuss the current market landscape, future priorities and the critical need for collaboration on industry initiatives and innovation. The panel also featured distinguished speakers including Marie-Caroline Laurent, Chris Theophilides and Mario Zanetti, while Mary Bond, Group Director of Seatrade Cruise, moderated.

Cultural Heritage and Education
The cultural heritage panel focused on the theme of ‘Protecting and Preserving Destination Heritage’, moderated by Carolyn Spencer Brown, Media Director of Cruise Media. The panel featured Michele Bosco of Princess Cruises, Elena Garcia of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Marialuisa Iaccarino of MSC Cruises.
Michele Bosco, Head of Land Excursions and Operations for Princess Cruises, presented a selection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Mediterranean region, highlighting a group of cultural and historical gems that are the best selling points for cruises, reports Holly Payne of Seatrade Cruise News. As Bosco emphasized, UNESCO sites are “absolutely essential” for Princess’s North American passengers to get excited about Europe.

Marialuisa Iaccarino, head of shore excursions for MSC Cruises, said that “conscious guests are guests with a sense of self-worth.” She believed that it was the responsibility of cruise lines to educate guests about the rules of conduct or dress at heritage sites. Bosco emphasized that “educating passengers should start before they embark on a journey.” She said that “people who are educated about the history of a country they are visiting can pass that on to other guests.”

Elena Garcia, global key account manager for Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services, agreed with the idea of ​​educating passengers before they visit their destinations, noting that this is also important on cruises, Payne noted. Garcia emphasized that trends are changing and “we need to tap into the new generation.” According to Garcia, younger guests want to feel involved in the communities they are visiting and make a positive impact. “They want to be away from the crowds and feel connected [activities in small groups – MG],” she added. We wrote extensively about educational programs for sea tourists here

Intercruises tries to “add an extra element of education” for passengers who want to learn more about their destinations, whether they’re new to cruising or not. That could mean taking passengers to specific areas of the Pompeii archaeological site in Naples, exploring vegetation in Marseille, learning about embroidery in Croatia or discovering human towers [castellers de vilafranca – MG] in Catalonia, explains Elena Garcia. A visit to a castle combined with a winery tour is just one example of the opportunities available in Barcelona, ​​far from the most popular destinations in the cruise ship’s main port of call.

MedCruise’s mission is to promote the maritime tourism industry in the Mediterranean and its surrounding seas. MedCruise operates in 22 countries and supports ports operating on three continents, in Africa, Asia and Europe. MedCruise has more than 150 ports and 57 affiliates.

MedCruise with a new CEO and vision
Theodora Riga, who was elected CEO of MedCruise for the period 2024-2027, is the Chief Commercial Officer and Director of Strategic Communications at the Port of Thessaloniki. The General Assembly also appointed a new Board of Directors, including Anne-Marie Spinosi from Corsica Ports as Senior Vice President and Laura Cimaglia from the Port of Taranto as Vice President.

Theodora Riga, upon her election as CEO of MedCruise, said: “I strongly believe in the value of collective action, or as we say in Greek, ‘in unity there is strength. With the vision to continue the work we have done so well, we intend to improve our operations and achieve even more together.”

The new CEO stressed that the goal is to develop cruises that are environmentally friendly and bring benefits to all ports and destinations in the Mediterranean. MedCruise intends to do this by integrating the activities of its members and synergies with other associations and institutions (UNTWO, ESPO, AIVP, CLIA, IAPH, etc.) involved in maritime and coastal tourism. The idea is to “maximize the economic, environmental and socially sustainable development of ports, destinations and all stakeholders in the Mediterranean and adjacent seas,” emphasizes Theodora Riga. It is worth following MedCruise’s activities, because organizing cruises in the regions where the organization operates is a competition for the offer of North Sea ports.

Many cities and regions still prepare too poor an offer. And this means that tourists who visit Gdańsk or Gdynia, Riga or Klaipeda once do not return. Regional tourism organizations must therefore observe the activities of tour operators in the Mediterranean Sea in order to maintain their position on the maritime tourism market. It is best to rely on proven patterns and highlight unique regional gems, such as Kashubia, Kociewie or Żuławy.