{"id":4079,"date":"2026-09-24T21:31:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/?p=4079"},"modified":"2026-09-24T21:31:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:31:26","slug":"alfredo-serrano-cruises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/turismo-y-puerto\/alfredo-serrano-cruceros\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruises, collaboration and shared governance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alfredo Serrano conoce la industria de los cruceros desde pr\u00e1cticamente todos sus \u00e1ngulos. Durante m\u00e1s de once a\u00f1os fue Managing Director de Iberocruceros, compa\u00f1\u00eda que dirigi\u00f3 desde su nacimiento en 2002 y que llev\u00f3 de operar con un solo barco a superar los 200.000 pasajeros anuales. Desde 2013 es director de CLIA<\/a><\/strong> en Espa\u00f1a, responsabilidad desde la que representa a una industria que vive uno de los momentos de mayor transformaci\u00f3n de su historia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His career, however, began much earlier and far from tourism. He worked for companies such as IBM, Honeywell, and ABB, holding management and business development positions in Spain and Europe, before cruises became the focus of his professional life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passionate about travel and with more than two decades of direct experience in the sector, Alfredo Serrano talks with At Sinergia Sk\u00e5l,<\/em> on the growth of cruises, the role of Spain and Malaga, sustainability, innovation, economic impact, and coexistence with destinations. And he does so from a conviction that runs throughout the conversation: The future of tourism requires collaboration, planning, and shared governance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You're passionate about travel. What is it about a cruise that makes it \"the trip of a lifetime\" for so many people?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who hasn't heard someone say that one of their dreams, the trip of a lifetime, was to enjoy a cruise? As a passionate traveler, I've been fortunate enough to visit dozens of countries and places in a wide variety of ways, but few experiences compare to the beauty of sailing aboard a cruise ship; of being surrounded by the vastness of the sea, as you head towards your next destination, curious to know what it will be like; what it will make you feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cruise industry is relatively young. How has it evolved to reach its current figures?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cruise sector is a relatively young segment of tourism. Its origins date back to the 19th century, when travelling by ship was the only viable way to cross from one continent to another. The rise\u2014quite literally\u2014of aviation prompted shipping companies to find new ways to continue attracting passengers by creating new experiences on board. From the 1980s onwards, the sector began to expand, with increasingly sophisticated entertainment, new facilities, new ships, a wider range of destinations and greater market segmentation. This transformation, together with greater accessibility, has seen passenger numbers rise from nearly 2 million in 1985 to just over 37 million in 2025, with projections exceeding 40 million next year. However, despite this growth, cruises still represent a relatively small share of the global holiday market, accounting for around 2.5% of international tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What role does Spain, one of the world's major tourist powers, play in the cruise industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are the fourth-largest source market in Europe and the ninth-largest worldwide, in a ranking led by the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The typical Spanish cruise passenger is 44.7 years old and travels primarily in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The average cruise lasts 7.2 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Espa\u00f1a tambi\u00e9n es uno de los grandes destinos de cruceros. \u00bfQu\u00e9 factores explican esa posici\u00f3n y qu\u00e9 papel ocupa M\u00e1laga<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are one of the world's leading cruise destinations. Our privileged geographical location, diverse landscapes, rich culture, excellent cuisine and pleasant climate place us high on many travellers' wish lists. Added to this are our high-quality port infrastructure and good air and land connections. All these factors are important when designing itineraries and help ensure that cruise activity in Spain extends beyond the summer months and traditional ports, broadening its economic contribution and generating wealth and opportunities. An excellent example of this geographical diversification is the Port of Malaga: located in the heart of the city, it has earned a place among Spain's top 10 cruise ports, reflecting its popularity with cruise lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cruise
The Port of Malaga has established itself as one of the main cruise ports in Spain and as a prominent stop on Mediterranean itineraries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sustainability is at the heart of the tourism debate. What is the cruise industry doing to reduce its environmental impact?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The development of the sector has been\u2014and continues to be\u2014driven by a strong commitment to sustainability. Protecting the air we breathe, the oceans we sail and the destinations we visit is a priority. This commitment, combined with the innovative nature of cruise lines, has enabled 98% of cruise ships to be equipped with water purification systems, covering almost all their onboard needs and avoiding the need to draw this valuable resource from the destinations they visit. Furthermore, more than 55% of the CLIA member fleet\u2014a percentage that will continue to increase\u2014is equipped with systems that allow ships to connect to shore power, virtually eliminating emissions while in port. However, only around 3% of the ports we operate in currently offer this option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Barco
The shore power connection allows cruise ships to reduce their emissions while docked in port.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The goal is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. What does achieving this depend on?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Efforts are now focused on achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Reaching this goal will depend largely on the development of alternative fuels that are safe and available at scale, as well as on infrastructure adapted to new technologies. This is a shared challenge in which public administrations, their capacity to make the necessary investments and their support for R&D&I will play a key role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides environmental sustainability, you also mention social sustainability. What economic impact does the sector have in Spain today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest estimates from Oxford Economics, the cruise sector in Spain supported around 64,000 jobs in 2024, generated an economic contribution of \u20ac8.6 billion and contributed \u20ac3.9 billion to the country's GDP. Of this contribution to GDP, 45% was directly linked to the cruise lines themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you find particularly relevant about that economic contribution?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From my point of view, one of the most interesting characteristics of this contribution is its cross-sectoral nature. Its impact extends far beyond companies directly linked to tourism: shipyards\u2014such as Navantia in C\u00e1diz\u2014engineering companies, fuel and maritime service providers, certified waste management companies, fresh produce suppliers and many others. It is a diverse and extensive value chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cruise
Cruise activity generates a broad value chain that includes terminals, transport, provisioning, logistics and numerous services linked to each port of call.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the most sensitive issues is the coexistence between visitors and residents. How should the relationship between cruise ships and destinations be managed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cruise tourism is a highly planned activity, with itineraries and operations organised well in advance. This makes it much easier to manage visitor flows and helps provide a better experience for both residents and visitors. Striking the right balance between their needs is one of the sector's main priorities. But achieving that balance does not depend on cruise lines alone. It requires close collaboration with destinations, which ultimately know their territory better than anyone else. This joint effort must translate into action plans that take into account the overall dynamics of tourism, are based on current scientific data and make use of the many alternatives offered by new technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What kind of cruise experience are we moving towards?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cruise industry has been, is and will continue to be committed to supporting practices that foster responsible tourism development and help destinations preserve their essence and unique character\u2014the very qualities that make them unique and irreplaceable, and ultimately the reason why we travel and immerse ourselves in new cultures. In fact, there is a growing trend towards more immersive cruise experiences: more time spent in destinations, a greater focus on local heritage and communities, and more personalised excursions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The title of your column refers to collaboration and shared governance. If you had to sum up the key to addressing the sector's future challenges, what would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The success of the cruise sector\u2014and of the tourism industry as a whole\u2014and our ability to address shared challenges and achieve the desired results will only be possible if we join forces, involve the entire ecosystem, share expertise, make decisions and promote initiatives based on rigorous, up-to-date data, and make the most of the opportunities offered by new technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cruise
The cruise is also a gateway to the destinations, their culture, their daily life and the people who make them different.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the professional<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You've had the opportunity to travel to dozens of countries. After so many trips, what still surprises you when you arrive somewhere new?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I'm increasingly less impressed by monuments and more by people: their way of life, their relationships, their everyday customs... In the end, it's the people who make a place unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you travel for pleasure and leave the cruise sector behind for a few days, what do you look for in a destination today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really depends on the moment. Sometimes I'm looking for adventure; other times, to relax; other times, to learn or discover something completely different. I don't think there's an ideal destination: it depends on what you need or want on each trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your career began in technology and industrial companies like IBM, Honeywell, and ABB. What led you to make the leap into the cruise industry, and what did you find in this sector that made it become the focus of your professional life?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I entered the world of cruises almost by chance and discovered a fascinating, highly international sector undergoing profound transformation. The combination of travel, people, innovation and business did the rest. More than twenty years later, I'm still here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when we put CLIA, cruises, ports and data aside, who is Alfredo Serrano?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I'm a curious, restless person with a good sense of humour. I enjoy travelling, learning, spending time with the people I love and, above all, always having something planned. I think the day I stop being curious about what comes next will be the day I start to worry.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alfredo Serrano conoce la industria de los cruceros desde pr\u00e1cticamente todos sus \u00e1ngulos. Durante m\u00e1s de once a\u00f1os fue Managing Director de Iberocruceros, compa\u00f1\u00eda que dirigi\u00f3 desde su nacimiento en 2002 y que llev\u00f3 de operar con un solo barco a superar los 200.000 pasajeros anuales. Desde 2013 es director de CLIA en Espa\u00f1a, responsabilidad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5154,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[55,89,48],"class_list":["post-4079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-turismo-y-puerto","tag-costa-del-sol","tag-cruceros","tag-skal-malaga-costa-del-sol"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4079"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4079\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4485,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4079\/revisions\/4485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}