Croatian port of Zadar is currently hosting the 46th MedCruise General Assembly. Alan Lam reports.

At the commencement press conference, Carla Salvadó, in her capacity as the incumbent president of the organisation, told the invited international press that she was delighted to welcome over 115 delegates and eight cruise line executives to the gathering. This was her first assembly since assuming the role as the president.

The forum in the next three days will address and discuss multifarious issues concerning the cruise business in the Adriatic, the challenges it faces.

“What is most important is how to promote the region,” said Carla Salvadó. “We have seen in the last ten years incredible growth in the Med. At present we are quite flat. Now is the time to promote, to discuss challenges, environmental issues, and how to increase cooperation between all the member ports. We know now that we have to collaborate with the cities and attractions because cruise is a new type of tourism they must be informed about. They need to be aware of the idiosyncrasies of cruise tourism and learn how to promote it.” 

“At each assembly we focus on different regions,” Thanos Pallis, Secretary General, MedCruise, told the press. “We hope the discussions will help bringing more cruise activities to Zadar.” 

During the Q&A session, in response to a specific question put by Cruise Business Review correspondent concerning the specific objective of the current assembly assembly, Carla Salvadó said that it would be to discuss challenges facing the region, chiefly among them the issue concerning Venice.

Two Cruise Business Review correspondents are in attendance in Zadar and will be reporting live in the coming days.