The minister stated this following a meeting attended by President Marga Prohens and Alfredo Serrano, the national director for Spain of the CLIA Cruise Lines International Association. He added that the current maximum of three ships per day will be maintained for the rest of this year, for the whole of 2024 and for the 2025 high season.
Bauzá explained that it is impossible to change the number of stopovers in the short term because cruise operators have fixed their schedules for this year and 2024. "The intention is to analyse an increase in the number of stopovers for the 2025 low season but within a context of sustainability and efficiency."
Serrano welcomed the government's intention as there is demand for more cruises to arrive in Palma. He explained that there are "strong" seasons for cruises in the Balearics in April and May and October and November. He highlighted the fact that Palma has become a base port for many operators. "This is because air connectivity with the island is optimal and Mallorca has a wide range of highly competitive tourist services."
As to potential criticism of an increase in stopovers, Bauzá observed: "Any tourist who arrives in Mallorca is welcome and so therefore cruise tourism is."
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Pollution is never good news. That’s the lesson from Venice and Amsterdam. Learn from the mistakes of others, rather than repeating them.
This is good news for Mallorcas economy. As there are not many attractions on the Island during the Winter Months. The lack of Tourism and Winter events has been a major problem for decades. Nothing is done to provide for the Winters. But many like 6 Months work , and 6 Months Holiday.
Well of course there is more demand for stop overs from these giant mega polluters. It’s because Governments who actually care about their local populations, their air quality, their marine welfare and quality tourism are actually banning these horrific giant cruise ships!!! People of Palma will now be able to look forward to swarms of cheap as chips tourists, disgorged onto the narrow streets, spending ‘cents’ all year round. And that’s while their super polluting, diesel guzzling plague ships pump toxins into the beautiful azur Mallorcan sky. Can’t wait :(