Benefitting from their unique climates and geographic positions, the Canary Islands are no strangers to cruise tourism. There is now a new appetite and an action-driven impetus in this Atlantic archipelago, especially in Tenerife, for further growing its cruise business. Alan Lam reports.
The development of the new 8,473 m2 cruise terminal at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the largest in the region, has reached an advanced stage and is now a widely discussed subject within the industry, thanks to the unrelenting promotion and publicity initiatives by the Port Authority.
When complete the new terminal will feature a 3,300 m2 of luggage handling space and a 2,583 m2 of check-in area containing 50 desks, as well as waiting areas, aerial gangway, taxi lane, and a parking zone for buses. “It will be a completely accessible cruise terminal,” Nayra Hernández of the Authority’s Commercial Department told Cruise Business Review, “located next to the city centre, connected through a ramp and lifts. The new cruise terminal will join other two existing ones for homeporting operations”
In addition, a new 395-metre cruise berth, with a 10-metre draught, will be added next to the new terminal.
Tenerife certainly has benefitted from the proliferation of year round cruising. All throughout the year, operators such as Thomson Cruises, MSC Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Line, Hapag Lloyd, and Windstar Cruises have all used the port of Santa Cruz as homeports.
After a temporary fall in 2013, Tenerife’s cruise traffic is on the march again. In 2014, the island received a total of 298 calls and welcomed 544,839 passengers, a 6.8% increase on those of the previous year. For 2015 it expects to achieve a further 8.79% growth.
Britannia, Anthem of the Seas, Mein Schiff 4 and Norwegian Epic are among its high profile visitors this year.
Traditionally visitors to the Canary Islands are predominantly Europeans. In an effort to broaden their visitor base, through its Public Relations Office in Washington D.C., Tenerife Tourism Board is actively promoting the Canary Islands as a holiday destination to the North Americans. It is working on establishing a direct air link between Newark and Tenerife.
Adding to the existing impetus, the first ever Tenerife Cruise Forum, organized by CruisesNews Media Group, will be held on 18 June 2015 in Costa Adeje. It has recently been announced that Seatrade Cruise Med 2016 will also be held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Cruise business is now widely recognised as the industry of the future for the Canary Islands.