Gibraltar once again participated at the Seatrade Cruise Global cruise and shipping convention held in Fort Lauderdale from 13th to 16th March.

Gibraltar is represented at the MedCruise stand by Nicky Guerrero, Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Tourist Board along with the Board's Senior Product Manager Suyenne Catania.

The event brings together representatives from all sectors of the cruise industry and is invaluable in facilitating one to one contact with cruise companies and the cruise press.

The Gibraltar Cruise Terminal experienced a record 2016, both for cruise calls and passengers. In total, 224 calls were made carrying a total of 425,845 passengers. This represented an increase of 9.8% in terms of calls, and 17.78% in terms of passengers compared to 2015.

2017 is expected to see another busy year as, to date, a total of 257 calls have been booked.

There are seven new inaugural cruise calls scheduled this year, including Norwegian Joy, Majestic Princess, Celebrity Reflection and Seabourn Encore. Of note this year is twenty calls by the Panorama II of Variety Cruises, which is making its inaugural call on 17 May. Further information on calls can be found in the cruise section of www.gibraltarport.com

This year Gibraltar will host the 50th MedCruise Annual General Assembly. Set up in June 1996, MedCruise is the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports. To be held between the 14 and 17 June, cruise line executives and MedCruise member ports will be in Gibraltar to discuss the latest developments of the Cruise Industry, the implications of cruising in the Med and its adjoining seas, plus the opportunity to discuss developments in the region. Also, business to business meetings and interactive workshops will be held between cruise line executives and MedCruise Ports.

The Hon Gilbert Licudi MP QC, Minister for Tourism and the Port commented "Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar continues to build on the success of the Rock's cruise industry. The teams at the Gibraltar Tourist Board and the Gibraltar Port Authority work together to maximise close ties with the cruise industry at events such as Seatrade Cruise Global and through our founding membership of MedCruise. Gibraltar continues to grow as a port of call destination in the Mediterranean, with 2017 expected to be another busy year. We continue to work with existing and potential new cruise lines to promote the product that Gibraltar has to offer. We also have the perfect opportunity to showcase Gibraltar during the MedCruise General Assembly to further establish new business in the cruise sector"