Arrival of new tourism cruise ships on the Costa Brava
Palamós Port is expecting 33,000 passengers for the first time in its history as a chosen port of call for 35 cruise ships belonging to companies including Thomson Cruises, Ocean Village Cruises and Tui Cruises.
MARCH 2014
The tourist cruising season on the Costa Brava got underway on 28th April with the arrival of the Seabourn Cruise Line cruise ship of the American company Yachts of Seabourn. In 2009, amid the ongoing celebrations of the Centenary of the Costa Brava, Palamós Port is expecting 33,000 cruise ship passengers for the first time in its history. This is a new record for the port with an increase of 34% in respect of last year and 60% in comparison with the last ten years.
In this context, the Catalan Government Ports Authority, Palamós Town Council, the Palamós Chamber of Commerce and the Patronat de Turisme Costa Brava Girona are collaborating on a series of actions aimed at raising the profile of the Costa Brava destination and its port infrastructures as an entry point to the counties of Girona for passengers on Mediterranean cruise routes, providing a boost to Girona's economy.
Other cruise companies using Palamós as a port of call this season are Ocean Village Cruises, Tui Cruises, Thomson Cruises, Seabourn and Le Ponant. Passengers visiting Palamós as a port of call can find a wide range of activities on the Costa Brava (excursions to places such as Pals, Peratallada, Figueres and Girona) and will give the town a new leisure and commercial boost.
The Patronat de Turisme Costa Brava Girona has been collaborating in 2009 with other institutions and organisations in promoting Palamós Port. Actions have included attending the Miami cruise ship fair, held from 16th to 19th March, re-releasing the promotional DVD of Palamós Port, and scheduling two familiarisation trips for cruise tourism operators and shipowners. On 23rd and 24th May a representative of the North American company Princess Cruises visited the destination on a familiarisation trip. Once the cruise season ends, plans are in place to invite several American shipowners in the spring of 2010 to get to know Palamós Port and the Costa Brava destination.
