The municipal office of tourism and the Port launch a comprehensive programme for welcoming cruise ships

The Municipal Office of Tourism and the Port of Tarragona are launching a Comprehensive Programme for Welcoming Cruise Ships (Programa Integral per a la Recepció de Creuers - PIRC) The analysis of the challenges and requirements posed by the increase in the numbers of cruise passengers arriving in the city, plus the fact that this is Tarragona’s first year as a base port, has led to the development of this programme.

For this reason, a menu has been created setting out the essential services and resources for cruise passengers, but also including activities and suggestions to help the visitors learn about Tarragona’s historical, cultural and heritage values. This menu will be periodically updated and adapted depending on the results. For the moment, it includes:

  An attention point, with tourist staff providing information when the cruise ships arrive

 Useful material: a guide to the city, a map of the monuments and a ZAC shopping map

 A calendar of cultural and festival events coinciding with the arrival, departure or stopover of the cruise ships

  2 free apps for visiting Tarragona: a virtual reality app of Tarraco and an app with 4 thematic routes adapted for tourists with disabilities.

  A transport service from the cruise ship to the city centre.

  Guided tours to cultural venues organised by the city guide companies.

  Living history. Every Saturday the Amphitheatre will host a performance combining historical recreation and technology.

  City of Human Castles. Every Wednesday in the Plaça de les Cols or the Pla de la Seu there will be displays of human castles, and every Friday visitors will be able to go and watch Tarragona’s castells clubs rehearsing.

 Tourist visit to Gaudí’s first work in Tarragona

 A gastronomy Route "Tarragona: a Mediterranean Secret", to taste Tarragona’s different dishes and products.

The Councillor for Tourism, Inma Rodríguez, explained: "We have created a plan that strives for excellence in welcoming cruise passengers and in terms of their experience in our city. It is a tourist sector in which we are still learning, and one that requires a lot of flexibility, adaptability and efficiency ". She added: "The consolidation of Tarragona as a regular destination for cruise ships is a unique opportunity for the local economy and for Tarragona’s national and international positioning. We are working hard to do justice to the challenge presented to us.".

For his part, the chairman of the Port of Tarragona, Josep Andreu, has stressed that: "The Port of Tarragona is taking the lead in the cruise ship project, but the role of the other players in the area, such as Tarragona City Council’s Department of Tourism, is crucial for the cruise ship project. We should bear in mind that approximately 80% of the cruise passengers that arrive at the Port of Tarragona visit the city, and the tourism provided is thus vital in ensuring that the passengers who visit us have an excellent experience." The chairman of the Port of Tarragona has thanked the work of the Tarragona City Council’s Department of Tourism, headed by the councillor Immaculada Rodríguez, in this new Comprehensive Programme for Welcoming Cruise Ships (Programa Integral per a la Recepció de Creuers - PIRC).