Cruise tourism, one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic, is working to achieve 2019 occupancy rates. While the global cruise industry continued its quest for direction with Seatrade Cruise Global 2022, which was held with the theme of ‘resilience’ in Miami, USA on April 25-28, Global Ports Holding left its mark on the event. Global Ports Holding, a subsidiary of Global Investment (IS:GLYHO) Holding and the only company that became the world’s largest in its sector after being established in Turkey, became one of the main sponsors of Seatrade Cruise Global 2022. With registration sponsorship, the fairground was covered with the Global Ports Holding logo.
3 different events were held at Global Ports Holding Seatrade Cruise Global. In the first event held at the GPH booth, information was given about the projects to be carried out at the Tarragona Cruise Port, which has recently joined the GPH portfolio, and all the stakeholders of the industry came together at the traditional Global Ports Holding cocktail held on the second day of the event. The party organized with the Spanish theme was once again the most talked about the organization of the fair. On the third day of the event, information was given about the ports of Global Ports Holding in the Caribbean region, which receives the highest share from cruise tourism. In addition, Global Ports Holding executives participated as speakers in 4 separate sessions within the scope of the event, contributing to the global cruise industry’s search for direction. At the established stand, presentations were made about 22 cruise ports in 14 countries in the portfolio of Global Ports Holding.
‘Reservations are getting stronger’
Mehmet Kutman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Global Investment Holdings and Global Ports Holding, stated that they have determined this business line as the most important strategic growth area with the confidence that is the future of cruise tourism, and said, “We can see rapid growth in the sector, with the demand that has been delayed due to the pandemic returning to demand in the next period. Today, the cruise industry is almost back to normal and reservations are getting stronger. Most cruise companies are planning to return their entire fleets to sailing in the summer of 2022, that is, during the high season of the Mediterranean. This will enable the Mediterranean basin to increase its share in cruise tourism even more. Seatrade Cruise Global 2022 is very important to determine the expectations and plans of the sector on a common ground before this mobility. As the world’s largest cruise port operator, we are shaping the industry with the events we organize.”
‘The recovery in the sector is seen’
Explaining that the recovery in the sector is seen, Mehmet Kutman continued as follows: “While the number of ships arriving at our ports in March 2022 was 14 percent higher than in March 2019, the number of passengers reached 62 percent of the 2019 level in March 2022. This rate was 35 percent in January 2022 and 47 percent in February 2022. In the Caribbean, which experienced its high season in the first quarter of the year, the indicators in the ports of Nassau and Antigua reached 2019 levels in March 2022 and even surpassed them. The number of ships arriving in Nassau in March 2022 was 20 percent above the March 2019 level, while the number of passengers reached 72 percent of the March 2019 level. Similarly, the number of flights in Antigua was 19 percent higher than in March 2019 in March 2022, while the number of passengers reached 56 percent of the March 2019 level in March 2022. When looking at the cumulative period of January-March 2022, it is seen that the total number of flights has completely reached the 2019 levels, while the number of passengers has reached 48% of the 2019 level.”