The Port Authority of Alicante (APA) leads a provincial delegation at the 2025 Seatrade Cruise Global international fair, held from April 7 to 10 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, where it is showcasing the tourist offer of the province.

   This event, considered the «most important in the cruise sector worldwide,» brings together more than 11,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors from over 120 countries, «establishing itself as a key space for innovation and growth» in this field.

   The Alicante delegation is composed of the Costa Blanca Provincial Tourist Board, the concessionaire company of the Global Ports Holding cruise terminal, and the APA itself, although the Municipal Tourist Board and Beaches of the Alicante City Council and the Alicante Cruise Tourism Association from Spain are also involved and providing their collaboration.

   The goal is to work «together» to position Alicante «as a strategic tourist destination in the Mediterranean, highlighting its unique offer: crystal-clear beaches, over a hundred castles and fortresses, a rich Mediterranean gastronomy, endorsed by its recent appointment as the Spanish Gastronomy Capital of 2025, and accessible excursions that allow you to visit any point in less than 40 minutes.»

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

   Participation in this edition has «two main goals,» according to the APA. On the one hand, «continuing to increase the number of stops,» as they aim to «surpass current figures and attract new cruise lines to include Alicante in their itineraries.»

   On the other hand, «the most important goal is to turn Alicante into a homeport, aiming to capture operations that use the cruise terminal as a boarding and disembarking point, especially for ‘premium’ and expedition cruises for all passengers.»

   The APA highlights in a statement that currently, Alicante has about twenty stops as a boarding port with MSC Cruises, with an average of 300 passengers.

   They believe that «becoming a homeport would benefit local sectors, increasing the average spending that passengers make in the city, mainly due to the need to stay overnight or use services,» and that the province would «consolidate its strategic positioning in the international tourism landscape.»

ECONOMIC IMPACT

   The APA emphasizes that cruise tourism generates «a significant direct and indirect economic impact.» Thus, in 2024, this sector contributed approximately 60 million euros to the provincial economy «thanks to the around 235,000 passengers who made a stop at the Port, ranking it ninth among the 28 port authorities of the national port system.» Additionally, they expect to increase this figure with the promotional strategies developed during the fair.

   Likewise, within the framework of the Ports of the State stand, ‘Blue carpet. Make your landing unforgettable,’ Alicante «reaffirms its commitment to sustainable and innovative tourism by presenting its renovated cruise terminal and the future infrastructures in which the Port will invest around one million euros to increase its docking capacity for this type of vessels.»

   According to the APA, «in line with the sector’s global objectives,» the Alicante delegation also seeks to «implement sustainable practices that minimize the environmental impact of tourism, such as de-seasonalization or the use of renewable energies to provide services to cruises while they are at the Port.»

   «The participation in Seatrade Cruise Global not only positions Alicante as a benchmark in Mediterranean cruise tourism but also reinforces its international presence as an innovative, sustainable destination, ready for the future challenges of the sector,» they highlighted.

   From the APA of Alicante, they explain that the Alicante delegation has so far received «a great reception» from professionals, representatives of cruise lines, and tour operators visiting the stand, valuing «very positively both the location of the Port, integrated with the city, and the proposed tourist offer, along with the excursions prepared for the cruiser.» In this line, they advocate for «continuing the path of growth» and show «very positive with the participation results.»