The Catalan infrastructure presents in Seatrade Cruise Med its strategy to enhance a sustainable cruise model

The base port cruises are already 61% of all cruise passengers arriving in the Catalan capital. This has been reported by the representatives of the Port of Barcelona at the main cruise fair of the Mediterranean, the Seatrade Cruise Med, which is held in Tenerife. The Deputy Director General of Strategy and Commercial, Santiago Garcia-Milà, and the head of Cruises of the Port of Barcelona, Mar Pérez, have explained that in the last year the base port cruises have increased from 55% to 61% of the total. "This fact shows that the strategy of creating a sustainable model that we have been driving in the port for years is bearing fruit.", has indicated Garcia-Milà. Two significant examples of the bet of the large cruise operators in Barcelona as the base port are those of Carnival and Royal Caribbean. On the one hand, Carnival is about to begin the construction of a new cruise terminal on the Adossat pier of the Catalan port, which with 10,000 square meters will be the largest in Europe. In addition, Royal Caribbean is part of the stock of Creuers of the Port of Barcelona, a company that manages the public terminals of the enclave."We are consolidating a sustainable model that, in addition to enhancing the role of base port, is to increase deparking. That means not exponentially increasing the number of cruises, but consolidating our leadership and maintaining a slight growth.", has declared the chief of Cruises of the Port, Mar Pérez.

According to the study "Impact on the Catalan economy and socio-economic profile of the cruiser," produced by the University of Barcelona, the base port cruiser who is staying in the city makes an average stay of 2.6 days, goes to 4-star hotels and has an economic impact of 202 euros per day. "He is therefore a high-quality tourist with high purchasing power, who makes a very significant contribution to the economy of the environment," said Garcia- Milà. The report of the University of Barcelona also reveals that of the total number of cruises, 24% overnight in hotels in the city, staying for tourism in Barcelona and 19% go directly to the airport. The rest, 57%, spend a day in the Catalan capital.