Global Ports Holding (GPH), the world’s largest cruise port operator, gave an update on its ongoing projects in the West Mediterranean region during Seatrade Cruise Global’s event on 29th March.
GPH highlighted project updates at Alicante, Las Palmas, and Tarragona cruise ports, as well as news on Global Ports Services.
Javier Rodriguez Sanchez, Regional Director West Med & Asia, provided an update on GPH’s latest addition to their network, Alicante Cruise Port.
Under a 15-year concession agreement, GPH welcomed its first call at Alicante on 27th March. With a planned investment of up to €2 mill, the cruise terminal will undergo refurbishment and modernisation to include new F&B and retail areas.
This year, the cruise port is set to experience a record-breaking 12 months for turnaround passengers.
Alba Colet, Commercial Manager of Tarragona Cruise Port, shared the latest developments regarding the port.
GPH started operations in Tarragona in April, 2022 and plans to build a new modular cruise terminal that will utilise solar power to ensure the sustainable provision of the terminal’s energy needs.
Tarragona is located only 55 mins south of Barcelona airport, and construction of the new cruise terminal is expected to start in 2Q23 and be finalised in May, 2024. Tarragona is also set to reach turnaround passenger records during the 2023 season.
Susana Gutierrez, Interim General Manager of Las Palmas Cruise Ports, provided an update on the three ports in the Canary Islands – Las Palmas, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote Cruise Ports.
GPH, together with a local partner, started operations at the three cruise ports in October, 2022. The project includes the construction of new cruise terminals in all three ports, with the largest one in Las Palmas.
The Las Palmas project features a 14,400 sq m terminal 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.
With an ability to handle the world’s largest cruise ships simultaneously, the port will have new retail and F&B experiences, a 40 bus capacity station, and an improved operational structure.
Construction of the three new cruise terminals will start in 2Q23 and will be finalised in March/May, 2024 for Fuerteventura and Lanzarote and May, 2025 for Las Palmas.
Passenger volumes are set to rebound strongly this year, with an average increase of 20% expected across the three islands.
Jordi Guillem, Manager of Global Ports Services (GPS) presented an overview of the company’s offerings, which include integrated port services packages to cruise lines in all GPH ports and non-GPH ports worldwide, creating synergies.
He also mentioned that the company is in its second season of providing port and ground agency services to cruise lines as part of their integrated service project model in Barcelona and all other Spanish and Portuguese ports.
In addition, GPS plans to expand its port and ground agency services within the ports under its network in Spain. For the first time, GPS provided turnaround services in Barcelona for Virgin.
Sanchez said, “We are proud to continue our commitment to sustainable and state-of-the-art cruise ports in the West Mediterranean region, providing exceptional guest experiences. Our ongoing projects in Alicante, Las Palmas, and Tarragona Cruise Ports, as well as exciting updates on Global Ports Services, demonstrate Global Ports Holding’s dedication to meeting the evolving needs of the cruise industry and exceeding expectations.”
