The 60th MedCruise General Assembly organized by Costa Brava Cruise Ports was officially opened this evening in Palamos and Roses.

The ceremony was held at the iconic hotel, Hostal de La Gavina, with Figen Ayan, Chief Port Officer Galataport Istanbul and President of MedCruise on hand, as well as Jordi Masquef, Vice President of Costa Brava Tourism Board; Lluís Puig Martorell, Mayor of Palamós; Montserrat Mindan, Councilor for Tourism for the city of Roses; Isidre Gavin, Secretary of Infrastructure of the Government of Catalonia and President of Ports of Catalonia.

Also welcoming attendees were host Maria Cano, Cruise Manager from Ports of Catalonia and MedCruise’s director of marketing and communication.

In attendance were some 100 delegates representing 145 ports from 22 countries around the Mediterranean and the adjoining seas, plus 34 associate members, representing other associations, tourist boards and ship and port agents.

Ayan gave the opening speech underlining the importance of the cruise industry for the region and the strong return of the cruise ships this season.

“After two years of navigating relentlessly through rough seas, the cruising industry, one of the sectors of tourism hardest hit by the pandemic is showing that a better future and smoother sailing is ahead. The record participation of members and cruise lines to our major event is (noted),” she said.

The 60th General assembly is seeing a record number of attendants, exceeding all previous events, she said, along with 18 cruise companies represented by 21 executives of Azamara, Carnival Corporation, Carnival UK, Royal Caribbean Group, Costa Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Grand Circle Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Marella Cruises, MSC Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Scenic, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea Cruises, Star Clippers, Swan Hellenic Cruises, Variety Cruises and Viking.

There are also 12 members of the international media on hand and 11 local media members.

“During the past two years of the lockdown because of the pandemic, Costa Brava Cruise Ports has continued to work, as the president has said, in order to promote the brand in fairs and participating in forums. We are very proud here at Costa Brava to host this General Assembly and we see it as a magnificent opportunity to make our port and our infrastructure known better throughout the world,” said Masquef.

“This is essential opportunity in order to create synergies between the public and the private sector with the challenge of setting up this strategic alliance that will help us continue improving as a destination and to summarize everything that we can add to the offer that Costa Brava and Girona has for the cruise industry,” added Mayor Martorell.

“We celebrate the opportunity to have this assembly here with the hope that we’re going to restart our activity with a lot of friends,” added Mindan in an opening speech.

“This is a great event that places the Port of Palamos and the Port of Roses at the core of the cruise industry the Mediterranean. This gathering will put these two towns and the destination under the spotlight of all its participants,” added Gavin.

With increasing importance of sustainability in cruise industry this is the first environmentally friendly General Assembly, committed to improve viability of sustainable development in socially and environmentally responsible matter.