- Costa Brava Cruise Symposium to underline important role of small ports, such as Palamós and Roses, in Mediterranean cruise industry
- First ever international cruise symposium in Palamós will welcome around one hundred professionals from ports, destinations, companies, port agencies, tour operators and associations
The Mediterranean is the number two destination in the world cruise industry, which in turn plays a key role as an impetus to ports and coastal communities. The industry trend is towards large ports and megaships, but there is a segment of the cruise industry that operates with small and medium-sized liners, with companies seeking new experiences with small ports and more exotic tourist destinations. This segment, which includes the ports of Palamós and Roses, is the subject of this symposium.
The one-day symposium, which will be opened by the Catalan Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Santi Vila, will feature four panel discussions about the important role of small ports in the Mediterranean cruise ship market. Starting at 9.30am and finishing at 5.30pm, the event is organised by the Catalan government, through its public company Ports de la Generalitat, in collaboration with Palamós Town Council, Roses Town Council, the Costa Brava-Girona Tourist Board, the Palamós Chamber of Commerce and the Girona Chamber of Commerce.
The key themes of the panel discussions will be “The cruise industry today in the Mediterranean and on the Costa Brava”, “The role of small cruise ports in Mediterranean”, “The cruise industry: a major opportunity for coastal economies”, and “Regional and international cooperation, a key element for success”.
Participants include the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports (MedCruise), the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and the Association of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME); the companies MSC Cruises and Thomson Cruises-Island Escape; the ports of Dubrovnik, French Riviera and Cagliari, tour operators such as Intercruises, Iberoservice and BCTours; and destination-related entities such as the Costa Brava–Girona Tourism Board and NECSTouR, the Network of European Regions for Sustainable and Competitive Tourism.
For further information: http://symposium.portsgeneralitat.org/
