The outgoing chairman of CLIA Europe Manfredi Lefebvre D'Ovidio announced at the end of his "The State of the Industry" speech at Madrid International Cruise Summit yesterday (24 October 2013), the creation of CLIA Spain, Alan Lam reports from Madrid.
The incumbent chairman also introduced to his audience the first president of the association's Spanish branch, Belén Wangüemert of Royal Caribbean Cruise Limited, and its vice president, Emiliano González of MSC Cruises.
As the second most popular cruise destination in Europe, Manfredi Lefebvre D'Ovidio underlined the importance of the cruise business to Spain and, in turn, Spain's importance to the cruise business.
5.2 million cruise tourists visited Spain in 2012, about 1.2 million of these embarked from Spanish ports, generating EUR 1.25 billion in direct expenditure to the beleaguered economy.
Spain is also the continent's fourth largest source market, with 576,000 people choosing cruise as their holiday option in 2012. This number is expected to grow steadily hereafter.
The need for an association like CLIA has been obvious. Earlier this year, country specific cruise industry organisations in the UK, Germany Brasil plus regional ones in Europe and Australasia were rebranded under the CLIA houseflag.
