The Institutional Cruise Committee meets for the first time in Reus

The results of the cruise passenger satisfaction survey show an improvement on the previous season

Tarragona will organise the 64^th meeting of the MedCruise Assembly in 2024

The Committee will organise the 2^nd edition of the Sustainability and Environmental Care Day in Cruises and Water Sports

Today, Friday 14 July, in the Josep Laporte room of the Fortuny Theatre, the institutional and business representatives who are members of the Institutional Cruise Committee met with the aim of analysing the first weeks of the 2023 season and the preparations for the events they are organising for the coming months. This the autumn, the board will organise the 2^nd edition of the Sustainability and Environmental Care Day in Cruises and Water Sports and in June 2024 it will host the 64^th meeting of the MedCruise Assembly.

The most recent update on cruise ship calls for this season predicts the arrival of 55 liners and 108,600 passengers. The more than 700 surveys carried out this season by Eurecat-Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya collated an average satisfaction rating for excursions of 8.8 out of 10, while the overall rating as a tourist destination was 8.4. For the Institutional Cruise Committee "these data are a sign of the good work done so far, surpassing assessments from previous years and showing a positive perception of the Tarragona region among visitors".

The Institutional Cruise Committee meeting was attended by Noemí Llauradó, president of the Tarragona Provincial Government and Deputy Mayor of Reus Town Council; Alba Colet, representative in Tarragona of Global Ports Holding; Francesc Pintado, president of the Tarragona Hospitality Business Association (AEHT); Marta Farrero, head of the Costa Daurada Tourism Board Autonomous Body; Montse Adan, Tarragona City Councillor for Commerce and Tourism; Mònica Conesa, Port Aventura DMC & In-Destination Sales Manager; Cristina Cid, former tourism councillor for Vila-seca town council and Lluïsa Clavé Muñoz, current tourism councillor for Vila-seca town council; Berta Cabré, president of the Tarragona Hospitality and Tourism Business Federation (FEHT); Oscar Saladié, professor at the Rovira i Virgili University (URV); Juan Crespo, director of Reus Airport; Anna Martínez, deputy director general of Tourism Planning and Inspection; Genoveva Climent, Commercial and Business Development Director of the Tarragona Port Authority (TPA) and TPA president, Saül Garreta.

The meeting agenda addressed issues related to the operation of the season, such as the estimate of calls, the first results of the cruise passenger satisfaction survey; and the organisation of upcoming events.

Expected increase and higher spend per passenger

During these first months of the cruise season, a total of 730 surveys was conducted in order to learn about passenger perceptions and experiences. The surveys were divided into three categories: passengers who planned their own tours of the area (384), passengers who took an organised excursion (157) and passengers who embarked in the Port of Tarragona (189).

The average rating for excursions so far in 2023 was 8.8, slightly exceeding that of 2022, which was 8.5. This indicates that cruise passengers have shown a high degree of satisfaction with the excursions offered during this season. In terms of overall destination rating, the average for 2023 is 8.4, while in 2022 it was 8.5, a score that remains in the high range and indicates that Tarragona continues to be a very attractive destination for cruise passengers.

Finally, it should be noted that so far this year cruise passenger expenditure has increased in most of the evaluated concepts, with museums being the category with the greatest growth, increasing by almost 100% from 5.8 to 12.5 euros per passenger, followed by restaurants and cafés with a more modest increase.

Tarragona, venue for the 64^th MedCruise Assembly 2024

The 64^th edition of the MedCruise Assembly will be held in Tarragona from 11-14 June 2024 in what will be a major event for the cruise sector and a great opportunity for the port and territory of Tarragona to position themselves as a tourist destination. All the members of the Institutional Cruise Committee are working on presenting their attractions and quality standards to the entire community represented at the Assembly, with the aim of consolidating themselves internationally, while generating synergies with other Mediterranean ports. The MedCruise Assembly is the Mediterranean cruise ports association event that brings together the different actors related to cruise activity, including shipping lines, port agents, tourism boards and companies linked to the industry.

Second Conference on Sustainability and Environmental Care in Cruises and Nautical Sports

This meeting of the sector’s professionals will take place during the third quarter of the year with the aim of repeating the success achieved in the first edition held in 2022. The organisation is working on the presence of experts to look at trends, strategies and new policies to respond to the sector’s need to respect the environment.

Attendance at Seatrade Europe

The Institutional Committee will once again be present at Seatrade Europe from 6-8 September. This biannual cruise event held in Hamburg is participated in by the main companies in the sector, including suppliers, shipping lines, ports and destinations, to discuss the latest trends in the European cruise market. The Institutional Committee will share a space with the Port of Tarragona on a joint stand with the State Ports Authority. Its aim is to position Tarragona and its territory at one of the most important trade fairs organised in Central Europe.

The Instutional Cruise Committee

The most recent meeting of the cruise committee was held last April 20 at the beginning of the season. In this meeting, the forecast for the number of calls was 58 with 118,000 passengers. The latest forecasts continue to be optimistic with 55 cruises and 108,600 passengers.

Cruise ship activity in Tarragona is a project with its own personality and organisation, different from other models in the Mediterranean. This is because the model has been developed in a consensual manner with the institutional, administrative and business representatives of the Camp de Tarragona region and the Costa Daurada. The Institutional Cruise Committee is the collaborative body in which institutions, administrations, companies and universities cooperate to develop a sustainable model for the handling of cruise liners.

It is a cruise liner project that is also characterised by a constant effort to diversify tours throughout the region and avoid concentrations at a single destination or in a particular town, so as not to generate the effects of overcrowding other destinations suffer from. In this way, from the moment the tourist destination is marketed and the excursions offered, cruise passengers can opt for multiple destinations that cover the whole Camp de Tarragona and the Terres de l'Ebre regions, including the Conca de Barberà, Priorat, the Ebro region or the towns of Tarragona, Reus or Vila-seca.