The Azores Islands have become the new member of the Macaronesian Islands International Ports Association, which operates under the Cruise Atlantic Islands (CAI) brand, and which until now was made up of the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and Madeira.
The signing ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with the participation of the President of the Board of Directors of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, S.A.), Paula Cabaço, the President of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada, the President of the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Pedro Suárez, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ports of Cape Verde (ENAPOR), Ireneu Camacho, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ports of the Azores, Rui Terra.
Paula Cabaço formally extended the invitation to the Azores and presented it to the other members of the CAI for the integration of the new member at this stage. In addition, she said that “the CAI meeting, in Tenerife, stands out for another historic moment, with the official entry of the Ports of the Azores as a new member of the Association.”
“All the representatives of the Port Authorities applaud this fact, which makes it possible to close the cycle of incorporation of the different Atlantic archipelagos. From this meeting came important points that allow us to define the steps for the future, focusing on an intense promotion and marketing plan with clear objectives to be achieved this year.”
It should be noted that the association aims to develop and promote cruise tourism in the Atlantic Islands, which currently represents a combined market of almost three million passengers a year, as well as to strengthen the position of the ports that are part of the association in the Atlantic corridor to reach new markets and also promote existing routes.”
Cruise Atlantic Islands is also working on defining common strategies, aiming to obtain funding from the European Union, which will allow the development of joint projects to improve connectivity and boost economic growth on the islands of the so-called Middle Atlantic.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
