The Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) and the Provincial Council of Valencia have organised the first ‘Cruise Tourism’ training course, aimed at municipal technicians and tourism agents.
A meeting point to expand the tourist offer, offered by the destination of Valencia for cruise passengers, with sustainable experiences in municipalities of the province, beyond the city of Valencia, and to work to deseasonalise cruise tourism that calls at the Port of Valencia, in Spain.
From the point of view of the President of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV), Aurelio Martínez, this conference is set in a context of change in the framework of cruise tourism. He said “At the moment there is a restructuring of the cruise system throughout the Mediterranean, with saturated ports and changes in the demands of cruise passengers, who are increasingly requesting more experiential cruises, the search for nature, sustainability.”
Deseasonalising cruises
It is an opportunity to showcase what we have close to us and which is often unknown, especially to cruise passengers"
Aurelio Martínez adds, “It is a historic opportunity to reflect on what we want to do with the sector, from setting a ceiling for tourists to deseasonalising cruises, because we have a climate that allows us to extend the months of stopovers.”
The conference will also serve, in turn, to take advantage of the wealth of spaces, cultural offerings and natural sites in all the municipalities of Valencia. Aurelio Martínez adds, “It is an opportunity to showcase what we have close to us and which is often unknown, especially to cruise passengers. We have to highlight these destinations, make them known and diversify the spatial offer of Valencia.”
Promoting cruise tourism
The President of the Valencia Provincial Council, Toni Gaspar, also took part in the conference and insisted on the need to involve all the agents and generate an attractive offer. He said, “Cruise tourism is already here and what we are doing is to make it the best cruise tourism.”
Toni Gaspar adds, “With these conferences, we are seeking the involvement of all the agents and public-private collaboration, which is what can ensure that visitors have the best experiences, find happiness and safety, and that we offer many things those other destinations do not.”
Technicians and companies interested in expanding destinations
The conference was also attended by 30 municipal technicians and tourism companies. Xavi Pasqual, the Director of the Patronat Provincial de Turisme de València, stated “Working together and hand-in-hand with tourist service companies and destinations, we can provide much more to cruise passengers and give them a wider range of excursions to do, when they stop over in the city, so that they end up with a wider and more satisfactory experience.”
Francesca Antonelli, the Marketing Manager and Head of Marketing and Cruises at the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV), pointed out “For a sustainable port like Valencia, which wants to redistribute the wealth generated by cruise traffic, an initiative like this conference is very important, so that more municipalities in the province can take advantage of this tourism and explore the possibility of organising offers of excursions for cruise passengers.”
Benefits of diversifying the offering for cruise passengers
The municipal technicians have also highlighted the benefits of diversifying the offer for cruise passengers
The municipal technicians have also highlighted the benefits of diversifying the offer for cruise passengers, in municipal terms, and for the municipality itself. An opinion shared by the people who took part in this first conference, organised by the Valencia Provincial Council and Valenciaport.
Vera Ruiz, the Tourism Technician at Buñol Town Council, stated “Cruise tourism would benefit the municipality of Buñol, in terms of boosting the cultural product, with events such as La Tomatina, but insisted that it should be done in a sustainable way, without creating a conflict in the municipality between tourists and residents.”
Promoting cultural, scenic and geographical diversity
For her part, Empar Chesa, from Gandía Town Council, underlined this same line of thought, emphasising “The cultural, scenic and geographical diversity that each municipality has to offer.”
And Cristina Silvestre, the Senior Tourism Technician at Riba Roja Town Council, said “Riba Roja can offer a lot to cruise passengers, because of its proximity to the city, its good transport links by metro, road, the natural park and the river park. And, because it has two tourist vortexes that are very interesting: on the one hand, nature and, on the other hand, the cultural aspect as we are one of the few known Visigoth enclaves in Spain.
Also taking part in the conference were Paco Blay, the Manager of the company - Arca Cultural, who sees cruise tourism as an opportunity to deseasonalise work, and Virgilio Beltrán, from the company Numenius Tous, who believes that this type of tourism can bring cruise passengers, who are interested in bird watching and natural areas.
A diversified offer for a fashionable destination
The Port of Valencia has established itself as a destination for specialised shipping companies
The Port of Valencia has established itself as a destination for specialised shipping companies, both for the family public arriving on large cruise ships, and those aimed at premium visitors, who dock at its docks on small luxury vessels.
During the operational stoppage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the PAV, in coordination with public bodies and tour operators, worked to adapt the tours to the new normality, and to the changing needs of the shipping lines and cruise passengers.
Expanding the range of excursions on offer
Thus, in addition to the different options for touring the city of Valencia and getting to know the museums, the Silk Route, the Fallas or the Holy Grail, the City of Arts and Sciences, the beaches and the Albufera, there are also excursions to towns, such as Sagunto, Requena, Xátiva, Alboraya, Manises, Tabernes Blanques, Meliana or Vall d’Uixó, among others.
Moreover, the aim of Valenciaport and the Provincial Council of Valencia is expanding the range of excursions on offer, adding alternatives for lovers of the outdoors, sport and hiking to the wide range of visits to the city.
These excursions are based on unique, sustainable and safe experiences, far from overcrowded places, and are designed for cruise passengers to live them intensely and remain in their memories, so that they return to visit a tourist destination that is in fashion worldwide, as has been accredited by various media and international studies.
A highly valued medium-sized destination
The city of Valencia is a medium-sized and sustainable cruise destination, with annual growth of 2%
The city of Valencia is a medium-sized and sustainable cruise destination, with annual growth of 2%. In 2019, the port of Valencia received 203 cruise calls and 435,000 cruise passengers.
According to the study carried out by the UPV, the expenditure associated with cruise activity has resulted in a total economic impact on the economy of the city of Valencia and its surroundings of approximately 71 M€ in terms of production. Each cruise passenger who disembarked at the Port of Valencia spent an average of 146.5 euros.
Cruise passengers visiting the province of Valencia are lovers of gastronomy, crafts, the environment and the singularities of Valencian life, preferences that they find in the Valencian Community, far from any kind of saturation, as is already the case in some destinations.
Vast majority of visitors from Europe
The figures in the report show that the vast majority of visitors come from Europe: 19.3% from Italy, 19% from Germany, 17.9% from England and 10.6% from France. Among the countries outside the old continent, 10.2% of tourists came from the United States of America (USA).
The average length of stay of these visitors in Valencia is 4.1 hours for cruise passengers, who have booked an excursion and 4.7 hours for those who disembark without a guided tour from the ship.
Age group dynamics of tourists
The average cruise tourist who calls at Valencia is 52 years old. By age group, 37.9% are over 60 years old, 33.2% are between 41 and 60 years old, 15.4% are between 21 and 40 years old, and 13.6% are under 20 years old. In terms of gender, 52.4% are women and 47.4% men.
