Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) hosted its third annual Port & Destination Summit in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, bringing together 225 delegates from the global cruise industry representing 27 countries on 20 September, one day ahead of Seatrade Cruise Med, the largest cruise industry gathering in Europe.
The Port & Destination Summit, featured networking opportunities and open dialogue on topics of crucial importance to port authorities, port agencies, tourism organizations, destination management companies and cruise lines. Topics centered on the port and destination community’s role as it relates to the growth of the global cruise industry, highlighted by the popular Interactive Itinerary Planning Workshop which fostered conversations and understanding about the challenges of ship deployment in different regions of the world.
“This year, we enhanced the summit to foster even more engagement and allowed participants to immerse themselves into the program,” said Adam Sharp, manager, port operations & guest services, Europe, ME & Africa, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. “During the itinerary planning workshop, ports and destinations walked away with specific best practices as it relates to working more effectively with cruise lines, which is something that you can’t find anywhere else.”
More than 45 cruise line executives attended the full day of networking, one-to-one meetings, and high level discussions and debate. The keynote presentation was delivered by Michael Tamm, CEO, Costa Group, who kicked off the summit addressing key topics and themes for the day. Tamm highlighted the important role that port and destinations play within the cruise industry, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by the community.
“In an industry that is growing so rapidly, creating platforms for our partners to connect and build relationships is key to ensuring that we continue to work together as one,” said Giora Israel, svp, global port and destination development, Carnival Corporation & plc. “As someone who has been in the industry for many years, each time I attend this summit I make new connections and am continually impressed with the interactions and experiences I am able to participate in.”
The summit is a prime example of CLIA’s efforts to create programs that benefit the entire cruise community. The next CLIA event is the CLIA Executive Partner Summit on 13-15 November 2016, in Florida. The event will include a Port & Destination Forum as well as a Technical & Regulatory Forum.
