Castellón community gets behind cruising and starts to see growth

Crystal Cruises's port agent in Castellón Pérez&Cía informs at 85mtr long, Crystal Esprit will dock in the inner harbour providing direct access by foot to the city centre for its 71 capacity passengers.

The port also provides a dedicated cruise pier of 350mtr long and 16mtr draught.

In addition to Crsytal Esprit, Marella Cruises will call PortCastelló four times next year, plus one visit by Oceania Cruises.

Until now MedCruise member, Castellón, has never had more than two calls a year and the increase in business is the result of a new strategy put in place by the Port Authority of Castellón through the Castellón Cruise Club, an association made up of the Town Council of Castellón, Provincial Council of Castellón, Valencian Tourist Agency, Chamber of Commerce, the airport Aerocas, University of Castellón, Port Castelló Foundation and Port Authority.

'The participation of all the sectors involved is the key to success, since the passengers are not only interested in what the port has to offer, but in what is beyond the port. It is necessary to define tourist attractions that are tailored to the tastes and needs of cruise passengers and it is therefore essential that all sectors are well coordinated,' noted Francisco Toledo, president of Port Authority of Castellón who has engaged Bermello Ajamil & Partners Europe to advise on growing the destination's cruise business.

The issue of collaboration amongs all cruise stakeholders will be addressed at the Meeting Future Demand in the Med and its Adjoining Seas session at the Seatrade Cruise Med conference taking place in Lisbon on September 19-20, 2018.

Toledo added, '25 commercial establishments in Castellón have signed up to the 'Castellón Cruise Friendly ' plan which is a quality certificate which can be applied for by any businesses interested in attracting cruise ship passengers and who are ready to conform to a series of requirements.'

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