Tourism officials from Gibraltar participated in the 67th General Assembly of MedCruise, recently held in Šibenik (Croatia), as active members of this association that groups more than 159 ports and 50 associated members of the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Atlantic, and Baltic cruise sectors.
The Gibraltar delegation was composed of Kevin Bossino, Chief Executive of Product Development at Gibraltar Tourism, and Audisa Rodríguez, Senior Executive of the Gibraltar Tourist Office. The assembly brought together numerous representatives from ports and organizations linked to the cruise industry, creating a space for analysis and collaboration around the challenges and opportunities of the sector.
During the event, the Gibraltar delegation held a total of 11 B2B meetings with cruise itinerary planners, where the possibilities of including the port in future routes were discussed and ways to optimize the experience of cruise passengers visiting the Rock were explored. Additionally, the team actively participated in several thematic sessions focused on the commitment of local communities to the industry, the development of new destinations, and the assessment of the economic impact of cruises on host territories.
One of the areas in which Gibraltar had direct participation was in the Regulatory Advice Study Committee, where proposals related to the future structure of the MedCruise association and the internal regulatory framework were debated.
The presence of Gibraltar in this type of forum responds to a strategy aimed at strengthening its positioning within the southern European cruise circuit, promoting knowledge of the destination among key industry players. In this context, Gibraltar's Minister of Tourism, Christian Santos, positively valued the opportunity to share experiences with other port destinations and generate contacts that can lead to new business opportunities.
MedCruise is currently one of the most relevant platforms in the sector at a regional level, and its general assemblies constitute a regular meeting point among port operators, cruise lines, service providers, and institutional officials. The 67th edition took place over several days in the Croatian city of Šibenik and combined plenary sessions, networking activities, and technical visits to port infrastructures.