Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced a lineup of government officials, cruise industry leaders, and international institutions for Cruise Week Europe 2025, which will place between 12th and 14th March in Brussels.
Hosted in collaboration with Cruise Port Rotterdam, the Port of Rotterdam, and the City of Rotterdam, the event will highlight sustainability, innovation, and resilience within the European cruise sector.
For the first time, this year’s conference will feature a dialogue between European shipyard CEOs and cruise industry executives, to reinforce the importance of shipbuilding and maritime technology to the continent’s economy.
Investment requirements for achieving the industry’s net zero ambitions will also be discussed, featuring insights from CLIA’s European Investment Plan.
Keynote speaker, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, will address delegates, at which he will emphasise policy and innovation roles in shaping the future of European maritime tourism.
Other speakers will include:
Maja Bakran Marcich, Deputy Director General, DG MOVE
Maive Rute, Deputy Director General, DG GROW
Fotini Ioannidou, Director, Waterborne Transport, DG MOVE
Christos Stylianides, Greek Minister for Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy
HE Marina Hadjimanolis, Cypriot Shipping Deputy Minister
Petri Peltonen, Finnish Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs
Heike Deggim, Director, IMO’s Marine Environment Division
Sam Maubanc, CLIA’s Director General, Europe (pictured), said: “The strong participation from high-level government officials and industry leaders underscores the cruise sector’s critical role in European industrial innovation and maritime strategy.
“We look forward to exploring how the cruise industry can enhance Europe’s competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience,” he said.
The European cruise sector continues to make strategic investments in sustainable energy solutions, ensuring that ships built today are equipped for a lower-carbon future, CLIA said.
Key topics at the summit will include:
Deployment of sustainable maritime fuels and their role in emissions reduction.
Onshore power pricing to facilitate cleaner port operations.
Tourism management best practices for sustainable destination growth.
Innovation in supply chains to reduce environmental impact.
Skills development to future-proof the maritime workforce.
CLIA’s ‘Made in Europe’ report, which examines the economic and environmental impact of the cruise industry, will be available, providing data-driven insights into the sector’s contributions.
