This international event will bring together cruise lines, destinations and sector operators in a strategic meeting for the Mediterranean and adjacent seas
FITUR once again hosts the presence of Puertos del Estado and the main Spanish ports at one of the most influential tourism fairs in the world
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 22 January 2026
The Port Authority of Las Palmas is taking part this week in FITUR 2026, a must-attend event for international tourism, where Puertos del Estado and Spanish ports have an institutional presence in Pavilion 10, consolidating the importance of the port system within the global tourism, cruise and transport offer. Over five days, FITUR brings together public administrations, destinations, tourism operators, cruise lines and specialised media, providing a key working space to strengthen strategic alliances and promote the tourism offer linked to ports.
In this context, the Port Authority of Las Palmas has announced that the Port of Las Palmas will be the official host venue of Seatrade Cruise Med 2026, the reference event for the cruise industry in the Mediterranean and adjacent seas.
In relation to this announcement, the President of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada, highlighted that “hosting Seatrade Cruise Med in 2026 means placing our port and the Canary Islands at the centre of the global cruise industry map. It is an opportunity to showcase our operational capacity, our connectivity and the tourism appeal of the Archipelago to cruise lines and the main players in the sector”.
Moreover, Calzada underlined that “the decision to hold this event at the Port of Las Palmas recognises the work carried out in recent years to consolidate a competitive, sustainable infrastructure that is prepared for the challenges of a rapidly evolving industry”.
FITUR 2026: a strategic space for cruise tourism
The 46th edition of FITUR reinforces its international dimension with an 11% increase in foreign exhibitors, the presence of more than 9,000 companies and 135 countries, along with 89 official representations, consolidating this fair as one of the largest tourism showcases in the world. Among its thematic areas, a space dedicated to cruise tourism stands out, becoming a priority meeting point for cruise lines, destinations, port authorities and tourism operators.
In this context, the participation of the Port Authority of Las Palmas is particularly relevant due to the role of the Port of Las Palmas as a winter homeport and strategic call in the Mid-Atlantic, a position that in recent years has strengthened its projection in the international market.
The epicentre of the cruise sector will arrive at the Port of Las Palmas in September 2026
Seatrade Cruise Med 2026 will take place on 16 and 17 September 2026 at the Port of Las Palmas, becoming a meeting point for cruise line executives, international experts, port operators, tourist destinations, service providers, investors and leaders from the maritime-tourism sector.
The choice of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria consolidates the Port of Las Palmas as one of the strategic nodes of the sector in Europe and the Mid-Atlantic, highlighting its role as a winter homeport, its air connectivity with Europe and America, and its experience in tourism and cruise traffic.
The event agenda will address the main challenges and opportunities of the sector, with content related to digital transformation, data use and artificial intelligence, decarbonisation and energy transition, the rise of expedition cruising, geopolitical dynamics in global operations, and the evolution of passenger experience and on-board innovation. It will also cover investment and market perspectives, financing, the growth of the luxury and ultra-premium segment, opportunities in river and niche cruising, and strategies in sustainability, regulation and ESG governance. The event will also feature the traditional Presidents’ Panel, bringing together the top executives of the world’s leading cruise lines.
Countdown to the Cruceroadicto Awards 2025: cruise passengers vote tomorrow for the best port in the Mid-Atlantic
In this same context, tomorrow Thursday the Cruceroadicto Awards 2025 ceremony will take place, where the winner of the Best Port in the Mid-Atlantic category will be announced, a category in which the Port of Las Palmas is competing for the second time for the award it already won in 2024. These awards have become established as the only ones in the sector chosen 100% by real cruise passengers based on their direct experience, with no intervention from the industry or technical juries, and are officially certified by AENOR, guaranteeing the transparency and impartiality of the process. In their fourth edition, thousands of Spanish-speaking travellers have taken part, casting votes over four months for 1,184 candidates among ports, ships and cruise lines pre-selected for their cruise activity in 2025. The ceremony will be held at the FITUR Cruises Auditorium (Pavilion 4), reinforcing FITUR’s international dimension as a privileged showcase for the cruise sector.
An international event that will strengthen the positioning of the Port of Las Palmas
Over two days, the Port of Las Palmas will host institutional meetings, sector roundtables, technical sessions and commercial agreements, boosting the international positioning of the destination and the Canary Islands port system. The event will consolidate a line of work based on institutional cooperation, the attraction of high-impact international events and the generation of economic opportunities for the business fabric of the Archipelago.
