Global Ports Holding (GPH), together with its local partner Sepcan and the Las Palmas Port Authority, unveiled future plans at Seatrade Cruise Med, held in Malaga, Spain.
On 22nd August, GPH revealed the completion of the concession agreement for three Canary Islands ports – Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote through Global Ports Canary Islands (GPCI), an 80:20 joint venture between GPH and Sepcan.
GPCI will start operations at the three cruise ports in October 2022, ahead of the peak winter season, with over 650 scheduled cruise ship calls at Las Palmas, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura planned.
In Malaga, Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, President of Puertos del Estado, Luis Ibarra, President of Las Palmas Port Authority, Mehmet Kutman GPH Chairman and CEO and Javier Rodríguez Sánchez, GPH Regional Director West Med & Asia (pictured) introduced the project, which will see an investment of €40 mill.
Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, President of Puertos del Estado (the Spanish Ports National Board), said: “The cruise sector is one of the reference traffic in Spanish ports of general interest. It has been consolidated over the years, today having some of the European ports of reference for cruise ships, such as the Port of Las Palmas.”
Luis Ibarra, Las Palmas Port Authority President, added: “In the last decade, the Port Authority of Las Palmas has invested €45 mill in infrastructure for cruise operations and a further €20 mill is planned up to 2026.
“We have reinforced competitiveness and quality in the provision of port services for the demanding cruise traffics. The common project of Global Ports Holding and Ports of Las Palmas is a great development born out of determination, commitment and professionalism,” he said.
Mehmet Kutman, GPH Chairman and CEO, commented: “Spain has always been an important country for GPH as it has been the milestone of its expansion into the international cruise markets. With our local partner Sepcan group, we look forward to work in partnership with Port Authority of Las Palmas and all stakeholders for this project ”
Javier Rodríguez Sánchez, GPH Regional Director West Med & Asia, said “Today, we are delighted to reveal our latest project of three ports in the Canaries. The Las Palmas project is a proof of our continued efforts in sustainability and shows our commitment not only to social benefits but our care for the environment. We look forward to enhance guest experience and cruise operations with the local expertise and global knowledge in the Canaries and we also look forward to continue working in our expansion projects in the region.”
The project features a new sustainable terminal building and infrastructure improvement in the Las Palmas Cruise Port. The 14,400 sq m terminal will be built from sustainable recycled materials to achieve low carbon footprint that will be able to provide smoother homeporting and transit operations at one of the busiest ports in Spain.
Operational by the 2024 cruise season, Las Palmas Cruise Port, with the ability to handle the largest cruise ships in the world, will have new retail and F&B experiences, 40 bus capacity parking and an improved operational structure.
The addition of Las Palmas ports has increased the number of Spanish ports to seven in GPH’s portfolio.
As the third busiest cruise destination in Spain, Las Palmas is located in East/Mid Atlantic in the Canary Islands.
A popular destination for winter cruising thanks to the archipelago’s mild climate, its major cruise port, Las Palmas is also a year-round destination due to its international air connections.
