Friday, December 1, 2017 - 11:42 by ce-press
Vigo is following the Blue Growth initiative from the European Commission to support sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors, not least when it comes to its cruise business.
Enrique Cesar Lopez Veiga, president Port Authority of Vigo, told Cruise Europe: “I think we are now pioneering a little bit. We are taking a global approach to the maritime economy, based on making the whole hinterland over to cruise. This cannot be done without the input of all the stakeholders.” There are 14 working groups, of which one is cruise, developing about 50 projects.
The port itself is involved with container shipping, automotive traffic (cars and spare parts) and fish processing. “The Port of Vigo is clearly an example of what a green port should be. This is very good for promoting cruise and the food industry.”
A year ago, the tourism office, port and tour operators came together in a working group to work on cruises but also to improve signalling in the city. “Vigo is a tourist-friendly city and eager to welcome visitors”.
This year there were 70 calls and 140,000 passengers. Veiga commented: “We want to return to the 120 calls of the past. We have strong competitors in the area. We are the only Spanish port for Pullmantur which has been interporting every year for three years. The sales of cabins in the Vigo area are better. Vigo airport is 10 minutes from the port. MSC, Royal Caribbean, Carnival UK, Celebrity and Costa etc call on transit.”
The port recognises that the eight-hour voyage from La Coruna to Vigo means putting more speed on the engine and hence cost but Veiga said: “We want to reinvent ourselves as a port of call.”
Cold ironing is being developed, with LNG being the source, but the plan is to also supply LNG. “We are also regenerating the sea-bed and repopulating it with algae so we can capture CO2. The mouth of the bay of Vigo is wide and deep, the amount of sheltered water is immense.”
One visitor attraction that is being proactively promoted is the Cies Islands, which are part of the national maritime park and come under the regional government. Tutatis, which is Celtic for full-speed, is the name given to the project to promote these islands and to encourage self-sufficiency.
Within an hour of the port are wineries producing white wine from 100% Galician grapes, for example Albarino, Treixadura and Godello. Just 20 minutes away on the border with Portugal is the old town of Tui and also the fortress town of Valenca de Mino which is in Portugal.
