Alarming decline in cruise tourism

Despite the global economic turmoil in 2008/09 ocean cruising passenger numbers have continued soaring; according to estimates the total number of passenger nights spent in the Mediterranean will increase from 26.31 million last year to 27.7 million this year, corresponding to a 5.3 per cent growth. Statistics released by the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) confirm this development: from January to September 2010 the ports of Palma, Maó, Ibiza and La Savina (Formentera) received 1,247,086 cruise passengers, corresponding to a 27% increase over the first nine months of 2009. The number of ship calls increased by 13%. Growth drivers are Palma and Ibiza, which respectively received 30% and 28% more guests than last year.

Maó: Continual decrease

In contrast to its neighbouring islands, Menorca has lost cruise passengers over the first nine months of this year. APB statistics indicate that Maó was visited by cruise ships on 73 occasions (-19%) and the number of cruise passengers totalled 52,765 (-14%). This result indicates the continuation of a negative trend which had already become apparent in 2009. Last year Maó recorded a 4% drop in the number of visits and a 26% decline in the number of passengers. According to berth reservations, Menorca's capital will close 2010 with a total of 93 cruise ship calls against 113 last year and 120 recorded in 2007.

Already this year Ibiza will surpass Maó in the number of calls, replacing it as the second Balearic destination in terms of call frequency. And this ranking appears to be manifested in 2011. According to the APB website, only 66 berth reservations have so far been received in Maó for next year – in contrast to 127 reservations received for Ibiza.

Important economic impact

According to a survey on the economic contribution of the Balearic Ports, conducted recently by APB, cruise ship calls to Maó generate a direct annual income of more than 6.4 million euros. If indirect and induced impacts are taken into account, the annual income amounts to nearly 10.5 million euros.

APB estimated that cruise calls generate an annual Added Gross Value of 5,598 million euros in Maó and create a total of 77 jobs. However, these conclusions are widely based on statistics dating from 2007 – when cruise tourism in Menorca was prospering more than it is today.

Need for intense marketing

The negative trend in Menorca is contradicting global developments of cruise tourism – and it is particularly astonishing given the fact that cruise lines are currently expanding their presence in the Western Mediterranean. 'The search for new ports of call in the Med' and 'The expansion of existing homeports and the development of new ones' are even two conference topics at the Seatrade Med in Cannes – luxury cruise brands, in particular, are currently looking for new authentic destinations. "Many cruise lines do not know Menorca well enough", an industry insider comments, "they just consider it to be a small copy of Mallorca without knowing its unique features and attractions".

Itinerary planners of various cruise lines agreed that an intense, locally-based marketing could overcome the decline of calls, passengers and value creation, particularly as Ciutadella's new facilities are about to open up a second Menorcan cruise destination. At the Seatrade Med Convention Menorca will be promoted together with the other Balearic Islands by APB – which is, however, in charge only of Maó: the new port facilities at Ciutadella are operated by another entity, the Ports de les Illes Balears (PIB).