Following the decision of the 50th MedCruise General Assembly held in Gibraltar, two specialised Working Groups have been formed within the Association – with the aim being to advance the interests of MedCruise member ports and associates.
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WG-Studies: Impact of Cruising / LNG facilities The main focus of this WG shall be the impact of cruising and its measurement, as well as how to best serve LNG vessels. The WG will be led by Airam Diaz (MedCruise Director, Ports of Tenerife). WG-Studies will work on defining and monitoring the forthcoming MedCruise study/studies that have been defined during the 50th MedCruise General Assembly, by reviewing the content, the involvement of MedCruise members, the involvement and formal call for expression of interest by any consulting party, and the advancement of the study. Aiming to understand the precise impact of cruising, and set the records right, the WG will discuss how to take advantage of the experience that a number of ports and destinations have from similar exercises on the measurement of the impact of the cruise activities on ports/cities/destinations. The WG will contribute in orchestrating any data provision from port members, and explore whether and which ports might be asked to do so in a systematic basis. The WG will also explore how best to develop – potentially in partnership with specific cruise lines, or their association – a project focusing on the way towards LNG facilities in cruise ports, as identified during the recent MedCruise GA.
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MedCruise WG-China/Asia: Expanding source markets This specialised WG will work on the development of the next steps as regards the MedCruise pioneering project aiming to promote a ‘Cruise the Med’ culture in China and the broader Asian market. The WG will be led by Maria Cano (MedCruise VP, Port of Palamos). MedCruise is working, since 2015, on an extensive China Marketing Plan to benefit MedCruise ports and destinations. The scope is to take advantage of the fact that the Med and its adjoining seas represent a high degree of attraction, combining different elements such as history, nature, culture and gastronomy, all much appreciated by Chinese tourists. As part of this strategic plan, beyond the presence at various events in Far East (COTTM; ITB China; Seatrade Asia), MedCruise established a Chinese website and has taken further initiatives aiming to emerge the Mediterranean as the mostly preferred cruise destination among Chinese cruise tourists. The scope is to now advance the second phase of the project, further promoting in China/Asia the concept that the Mediterranean has numerous advantages over other cruising areas, with its diversity of cultures, peoples, languages and history that make it an attracting cruise destination for Asian/Chinese citizens. In this context, the WG-China/Asia will take the MedCruise project to its next phase, deciding the best way to move forward.
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Maria Cano, MedCruise VP and WG-China/Asia Coordinator, maria.canoo@gencat.cat
