The Cruise Atlantic Islands (CAI) Conference 2024 will be held from September 26 to 28 in Funchal, bringing together members from Madeira, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the Azores.

Hosted in the Municipal Assembly Hall, the event will mark a key moment for the newly formalized International Association of Ports of the Macaronesian Islands. Participants will include industry operators, government officials and the press, highlighting Funchal’s role as the only Portuguese municipality in the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

“As a collective brand, CAI is already 30 years old and this conference aims to mark that anniversary and at the same time think about our joint future, at a time when we have taken an important step in the formalization and constitution of CAI, with headquarters in the Canary Islands,” said Paula Cabaço, president of Ports of Madeira (APRAM, SA).

 “There is a set of possibilities that we can now explore and that will allow us to face the new challenges that the sector presents in an even more robust and capable way,” added Cabaço, pointing out the dialogue with European institutions and the strengthening of CAI’s positioning in the global cruise tourism industry, as added value of the association that gave legal form to CAI.

Beatriz Calzada Ojeda, president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, said: “The CAI encourages the exchange of good practices and innovative solutions among its members, which strengthens the industry’s resilience in the face of global challenges. It plays a key role in the promotion and development of cruise tourism in this region, and by acting as a consortium that brings together several Macaronesian destinations, it facilitates cooperation between islands and promotes joint marketing strategies that position them in the international market.”