The Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports (MedCruise) held its 40th General Assembly in Tunis Tunisia on May 31st and June 1st with over 100 participants including over 80 delegates representing 39 port members and 10 associate members nine guest speakers and three international trade journalists.
The event started with the welcoming interventions of Mr Mohamed Daoud (Deputy Chairman OMMP) Mr. Khaled Trabelsi (Director of Investments) and Mr. Salah Adala (Director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs).
The assembly voted in three new port members: Brindisi (Italy) Corfu (Greece) and Kotor (Montenegro). This brings membership to 71 port members representing more than 100 ports in 21 countries. Also two associate members were voted in: Patronat de Turisme Costa Brava (Palamos Spain) and Tartus Tours (Odessa Ukraine). MedCruise now has 28 associate members and a total of 99 members.
Several important matters of business were discussed at the General Assembly on Thursday May 31st including Promotional activities and Events the MedCruise Professional Development Course European Commission and IMO policies Port Security Economic Impact Studies Traffic Statistics and Projections.
The assembly voted to hold its 42nd General Assembly in May 2013 in Batumi (Georgia) on the Black Sea.
Guest Speakers
On Thursday May 31st there was a roundtable on the issue of Security which was discussed between the cruise lines and the member ports delegates and on Friday morning delegates heard presentations from the cruise line representatives.
The guest speakers participating in these two sessions were:
Guest speakers presented their views of the market new builds deployment itineraries and cruise lines’ port relations.
Following the presentations MedCruise set up one-on-one business-to-business meetings between cruise line executives and MedCruise member port representatives and between member ports and the press.
To conclude the event on Friday June 1st the hosts took a group of over 80 members and guest speakers in a 45 minutes flight to Tozeur in the middle of the Sahara in the South of Tunis for a one day excursion in 4×4 through the dessert including a dinner with 5000 candles in the old village of Tamerza a visit to the oasis of Chebika and the site of Mos Espa and a lunch in the Oasis Golf club of Tozeur.
- – Eduardo Lopez-Puertas Vice President Land Operations Pullmantur
- – Elisabetta de Nardo Head of Port Operations and Development Costa Crociere
- – Giora Israel Senior Vice President Global Port and Destination Development Carnival Corporation & PLC
- – Capt. Howard A. Newhoff Manager Terminal and Port Security – Global Security Department Royal Caribbean Cruises
- – John Tercek Vice President New Business Development Royal Caribbean Cruises
- – Justin Poulsen Manager Deployment and itinerary planning Holland America
- – Capt. Luigi Pastena Port Captain MSC Crociere
- – Michel Nestour Vice President Global port and destination development – EuroMed Carnival Corporation & PLC
- – Rusell Daya Director of Marine Port Security Operations & Maritime Affairs Disney Cruises
- – Tim Marking Secretary General European Cruise Council
