After an extensive corporate restructuring, Pullmantur, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd's (RCCL) Spain and Latin America-focused subsidiary, has forecast a 9% increase in Spanish domestic sales this year. Alan Lam reports.

According to its new president, Jorge Vilches, the line carried around 120,000 Spanish passengers last year and it is on course to carry 130,000 this year. 

In total, it expects to carry over 470,000 passengers this year and 520,000 in 2015, of which only 25% will be Spanish, thus signalling the importance of the company’s global strategy. Its dependence on Latin America is apparent, with Brazil contributing 125,000 passengers, Mexico 20,000 and the rest of Latin America 115,000. Pullmantur recently appointed a new Commercial Director for Colombia, which contributed 40,000 passengers to the cruise industry last year, of which Pullmantur had a lion’s share.

Ambitiously, overall Pullmantur aims to increase its sales by 15% in 2015 and 30% in 2016.

Its subsidiary, Croisères de France, is expected to carry around 100,000 passengers this year.

Much of this success is attributed to its new price policy. Jorge Vilches indicated that the prices were “adjusted according to market demand”. He also saw clear signs of recovery in the Spanish market.

The travel agent Nautalia, a former subsidiary of Pullmantur, reports selling more Pullmantur cruises than when it was under the line’s control. Nautalia, now sold to Springwater, still maintains a close business partnership with Pullmantur.