Chatting with Airam Diaz , President of MedCruise
MedCruise is the world‘s largest port association, that shortly after learning about the relevance of the coronavirus and its importance in the cruise industry recommend immediately the preventive measures taken by the World Health Organization (WHO), governments and international health institutions.
The following statement has been distributed from MedCruise:
“The Cruise Industry is being affected by the situation as its regular activity is directly concerned by the preventive measures taken by some countries such as severe mobility measures inside the national territories and banning flights from certain destinations. Moreover, Cruise Lines had been forced to cancel their programs in many regions, having a direct impact on the cruise calls and cruise passengers that manage our ports and visit our destinations, after WHO announced COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on 12 March 2020”.
At Cruceroadicto.com we wanted to find out more about the opinion and actions of MedCruise from its president, Airam Díaz, who kindly agreed to answer our questions, not without pointing out in the first place that “I express my support to all the countries and regions being affected and also transmit a message of calm. Right now, it is time to assist our clients, support them and try to find solutions to their challenges.”
CHATTING WITH AIRAM DÍAZ PASTOR PRESIDENT OF MEDCRUISE
CruceroAdicto:
Will the Association take uniform measures and actions throughout this crisis or once the pandemic is over?
Airam Díaz:
We are having permanent meetings online and we will be there where we are needed, cruises and cruisers. We are organizing ourselves in small sectorial actions, by regions. At the same time, each country, as it is an extraordinary, unprecedented event, is taking particular and restrictive measures in different ways, so we are channelling the actions by trying to bring together the different data through surveys that include regulations, legislation, access, etc. And because Cruise Lines are also asking us to do so.
CruceroAdicto:
Will we be seeing “drifting” cruise ships for long?
Airam Díaz:
Within our scope of action, we will give berth to as many vessels as possible. We will look for the best option according to each case. If it can’t be in one port it will be in another, we are working on that possibility.
CruceroAdicto:
A tip for travellers and cruisers
Airam Díaz:
We need to stay calmed, it is an incomparable situation and we need to see how it evolves. The first thing, of course, at the moment, is to get the passengers to safety and although these are uncomfortable actions and some have complained about the situation, it is the most appropriate one. Then we must also think about the crew of these vessels. Furthermore, the shipping companies have made very supportive offers. Ports and destinations will work together to join in improving everything we can.
This situation will have a great economic impact on our companies, as well as on our communities. However, I am quite confident that with our work and commitment, we will overcome this challenging but also temporary period. We must also encourage our businesses and societies to help mitigate this slowdown in the cruise industry. I believe this will make us even stronger and we will learn from this situation.
Some facts about the Medcruise Association:
MedCruise Association is the largest cruise port association worldwide and its mission is to promote the cruise industry in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Adriatic Sea, Red Sea and Near Atlantic. Established in Rome in 1996, MedCruise membership spreads today in 21 countries and 3 different continents representing more than 135 ports and 33 cruise-related-companies and associations. In 2018, MedCruise members welcomed more than 28 million cruise passenger and about 12,800 cruise calls.
MedCruise assists its members in benefiting from the growth of the cruise industry by providing networking, promotion and professional development opportunities, and collaborates with different associations to better promote cruising and improve cooperation on issues of common interest. The Association is working to increase and strengthen its partnerships with cruise port associations over the coming years to continue to boost cruise traffic. These alliances help to provide a unified voice for sustainable cruise growth when dealing with European Union organizations, national governments, local authorities and other cruise industry stakeholders.
Manuel Negrín
Regional Editor
Spanish version of this article here
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MedCruise tells us how ports are dealing with the coronavirus crisis
Published: 26 March 2020
Autor: Manuel Negrín para CruceroAdicto.com
Fuente y Fotos: CruceroAdicto.com | Airam Díaz | MedCruises
