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Significant increase in cruise tourists arriving in Taiwan

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 04 November 2014 04 November 2014

According to information just released, two main cruise ports in Taiwan have experienced significant increases in tourist numbers during the first three quarters of 2014. Alan Lam reports.

Without publishing the actual numbers, the Ministry of Transport and Communications indicated a 58.6% year-on-year increase for the port of Kaohsiung and 78.1% for Keelung, the port nearest to the capital, Taipei.

Kaohsiung is scheduled to receive 47 ships this year, according to the Ministry, but only 29 calls next year, suggesting the still very fickle nature of cruise business in these parts.

However, despite the heady growth, it is believed that the over all cruise tourist number for Kaohsiung this year will be below the forecast 100,000, closer to 80,000.

The Taiwanese government’s reluctance in relaxing visa control on Chinese Mainland visitors is one of the factors slowing the growth.

Taiwan is a part of the so-called Golden Triangle of the region’s cruise business, which is defined by Shanghai, Hainan and Kaohsiung.

Contrary to the wishes of the central government, local politicians in Kaohsiung are aware of the key importance of the Mainland visitors in developing their city into a regional cruise centre. They are unrelenting in their efforts in tabling for easier visa policies to attract cruise tourism.

Like many other parts of the Far East, Taiwan’s cruise infrastructure is continuously being developed and upgraded, often speedily, in anticipation of an influx of cruise business.

Vigo and Lisbon to cooperate on attracting cruise business

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 03 November 2014 03 November 2014

The ports of Vigo and Lisbon are about to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in the coming days with the aim of attracting more cruise calls. Alan Lam reports.

Lisbon, Europe’s foremost Atlantic cruise port, receivesmore than half of a million cruise passengers a year. The cooperation may seem one-sided, more beneficial to the smaller partner, Vigo. But Vigo, the premier northern Spanish port, has been attracting mega cruise calls in recent months, among them Oasis of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Norwegian Epic have all called at this port.In October alone, 61,600 cruise passengers went ashore at Vigo.

This partnership will make a good deal of sense as, according to its president, Ignacio López Chaves, more than 70% of cruise ships calling at Vigo originated from or destined for Lisbon and about 20% of cruise ships calling at Lisbon originated from or destined for Vigo.

The forthcoming cooperation aims at presenting a unified product to cruise operators through information sharing and mutual promotion.

97.3% increase in cruise tourists arriving in Nicaragua

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 02 November 2014 02 November 2014

While Costa Rica has been waning as a Central America cruise destination in recent years, with the number of cruise calls falling from 345 in 2011-12 season to the current 190, Nicaragua is on the rise, rapidly. Alan Lam reports.

According to the Ministry of Tourism figures, during the first eight months of last year, 26,341 cruise passengers entered Nicaragua on 37 cruise ships, a 10.8% increase on 2012. This year, the increase will be phenomenal; the country is on course to record a 97.3% increase on the figure of 2013.

The Central America as a whole is expected to experience a 5.6% rise in cruise visitor number during 2014. Honduras, which received 1,132,057 cruise tourists last year, will continue to have the lion’s share on account of its more developed cruise tourism, followed by El Salvador, which received 539,211 passengers in 2013.

The region as a whole is expected to welcome over 2,900,000 cruise tourists by the end of the current year, of which Nicaragua will contribute about 55,000.

Though Nicaragua’s cruise statistics may be seen as having limited significance in the bigger picture, they nevertheless represent a growing trend in the region. This trend also supports the assertion that cruise tourists are constantly seeking out new destinations. Obviously the determining factor is the ship calls. Increasingly Nicaraguan ports are being included in the cruise line itinerary planning.

San Juan reports record cruise traffic

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 30 October 2014 30 October 2014

As another sign of the Caribbean revival and the strength of the regional cruise market, the port of San Juan has just released the latest, impressive passenger number for the July-September period. Alan Lam reports.

For the second quarter of the 2014-15 fiscal year, the port reported a cruise passenger throughput of 254,129, a massive increase of 148% from the 102,391 of the same period in 2012.

For the first quarter, according to Rolando J. Torres Carrión, Interim Executive Director of Port Authorities, San Juan received 78 cruise calls, the highest number in ten years.

Torres Carrión attributed this disproportionate improvement to the recent initiatives launched by the Governor, Alejandro García Padilla, which included anewly modified law on cruise ship incentives (Ley de Incentivos de Barcos Cruceros) and the implementation of the low season tariff programme (Programa de Tarifasde Temporada Baja) in May by the port authorities.

“Thanks to those plans and strategies established by theGovernor, García Padilla,” said Torres Carrión, “we have achieved a consistency in increasing the numbers of cruise ships and passengers arriving at Port of San Juan. In the same manner, we aim to welcome a record number[of cruise tourists] in the coming high season and continue our determination in strengthening the industry and the economy of the country.”

The port authorities of Puerto Rico are continuing their effortsto improve port infrastructure.

Med Cruise contributed to Green Ports Cruise Conference

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 23 October 2014 23 October 2014

MedCruise said it actively participated at the Green Ports Cruise Conference 2014 that was held in Barcelona in 14 October 2014.

Invited by the organisers, Carla Salvadó, President of MedCruise, Thanos Pallis, General Secretary of MedCruise and Aimilia Papachristou, Policy Advisor of MedCruise shaped several sessions of the conference.

Carla Salvadó, President of MedCruise, under her capacity as Manager of Strategy of Commercial and Cruise of Barcelona Port Authority delivered a presentation on Port-City relations: Carla Salvadó, focused on how ports and cities work together to cope with the ever increasing numbers of passengers visiting cities via cruise ships. She went on to presented the port-city integration in the case of Barcelona, detailing the different actions that Port Authority of Barcelona takes in order to build a solid win-win relationship between cruise lines and the city, while offering the authenticity of the destination respecting its citizens life and environment.

Thanos Pallis, General Secretary of MedCruise moderated the second session of the Conference focusing on environmental management practices in ports. During this session Aimilia Papachristou intervened on "Waste Reception Facilities in MedCruise ports”. Aimilia presented the work that was successfully completed by MedCruise in the context of the LIFE+ Project on existing waste reception facilities in MedCruise Ports.

She also pointed out the importance of Environmental Management for cruise ports, highlighting that the development of the European cruise industry is a key pillar of the Blue Growth strategy and the necessity of collaboration with cruise lines. Both members of the MedCruise secretariat had the opportunity to communicate to participants and the media how Medcruise port members in the Med and its adjoining seas are actively promoting sustainable practices and profile of cruise activities.

MedCruise member Valeria Mangiarotti, Marketing Manager of the Port Authority of Cagliari, had the opportunity to highlight and discuss the possibility to reduce the ships’ emissions at ports argued on cold ironing or LNG and presented a study conducted in Mediterranean ports.