Ceuta became the center of the Cruise industry analysis during the Ceuta Cruise Forum.
See report in the magazine: CruisesNews
The Port Authority of Ceuta convened and promoted the celebration of CEUTA CRUISE FORUM last October 25, with the collaboration of the Autonomous City of Ceuta and various sponsoring entities. This forum aspired to give media visibility to the Port of Ceuta and provide knowledge on cruises to local companies and professionals involved in this type of tourism.
The event was conceived during the participation at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last March, when the President of the Port Authority of Ceuta, José Torrado, made the first contacts with the organizing company Cruises News Media Group, a consultancy and media company specializing in the cruise industry, and organizer of the International Cruise Summit in Madrid, Excellence Cruise Awards and various events on the cruise industry throughout the Spanish geography.
The number of cruise passengers who have arrived at the Port of Ceuta in recent years has been increasing, exceeding the figure of 19,250 passengers in 2016. The importance of port infrastructure is evident for the development of the industry as is the need to offer adapted local tourism services to cruise market trends.
More than 100 delegates attended Ceuta Cruise Forum at Ulises Hotel Ceuta.
CEUTA CRUISE FORUM aimed to present all the business opportunities that cruise traffic can mean for Ceuta, analysing the promotional activities that its port and institutions have developed to receive the increasingly growing number of cruises and distributing knowledge about a sector that stimulates the economies of its destinations. The forum focused on explaining the keys to this industry and how to prepare the port, the auxiliary industries, the destination itself and the tourist services to guarantee the satisfaction of the cruise passenger.
All these issues were discussed in the round table that closed the forum by cruise lines executives from MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, Princess, Cunard and Pullmantur, and tour operators and port agents, and was open to inquiries from the attendees.
Representatives of the cruise industry participated analysing the strategy to follow to obtain greater benefit from the industry in this destination.
The forum was held on October 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and was given by experts and professionals active in the sector. It was an event aimed at professionals in the port sector, auxiliary industries, travel agencies, institutions related to tourism promotion, as well as hotel services, restaurants, museums, shops, tour guides, and in general all those who can benefit from the arrival of cruise passengers in Ceuta or who want to expand their knowledge about this industry.
Programme
09:00h • OPENING SESSION
• José Torrado, President at CEUTA PORT AUTHORITY
• Emilio Carreira, Sports and Tourism Board Member at TURISMO DE CEUTA
09:30h • PRESENTATION: PORT OF CEUTA AND THE CRUISE TOURISM
• José Torrado, President at CEUTA PORT AUTHORITY
10:00h • PRESENTATION: CLIA – STATE OF THE WORLD AND SPANISH CRUISE INDUSTRY
• Alfredo Serrano, Director CLIA ESPAÑA
10:30h • PRESENTATION: THE ROLE OF GROUND OPERATORS IN THE CRUISE INDUSTRY
• Jordi Torné, Managing Director at TRANSCOMA
• Deborah Vega, Regional Product & Operations Manager Mediterranean at INTERCRUISES SHORESIDE & PORT SERVICES
11:15h • Coffee Break
12:00h • PRESENTATION: KEYS TO BUILDING AND DEVELOPING A DESTINY OF CRUISES – ORIGINS OF THE INDUSTRY IN SPAIN
• Juan Madrid, Director at BARCELONA PORT ADVISORS
12:30h • ROUND TABLE – CRUISES, A YOUNG AND GROWING INDUSTRY WITH GREAT POTENTIAL
• Moderator: Virginia López Valiente, Managing Director at CRUISES NEWS MEDIA GROUP
• Emiliano González, President at MSC CRUCEROS ESPAÑA
• Antonio Toledo, Director Marine Operations PULLMANTUR CRUISES
• Agustín Quesada, CEO at MUNDOMAR CRUCEROS – Princess Cruises – Cunard Line
• Rafael Fernández-Álava, Director Marketing and Communication Spain & Portugal at COSTA CRUCEROS
• José Torrado, President at CEUTA PORT AUTHORITY
14:00h • Close
