The Bilbao Port Authority and Brittany Ferries show their latest news at FITUR – InfoPuertos
representatives of the Bilbao Port Authority and of Brittany ferries will participate in FITURthe international tourism fair that is held from January 18 to 22, to publicize the services and competitive advantages offered by the port of bilbao to travel by cruise or ferry.
On the one hand, they will visit the Euskadi stand, where they will meet various Receptive Tourism companies and representatives of public Tourism entities, and where Brittany Ferries will present its news on Thursday, the 19th, at 4:00 p.m. They will also visit the Puertos del Estado stand to contact professionals in the sector.
In her presentation, Brittany will present the advantages that Bilbao provides as a gateway and exit for tourism between the Peninsula, the United Kingdom and Ireland. This shipping company has been operating in this port for twelve years, and last year it improved its offer, in a clear commitment to this enclave. Brittany Ferries currently connects Bilbao with Portsmouth (United Kingdom) and Rosslare (Ireland) twice a week. Account for it with the salamanca shipwhich is going to be used for the connection with the United Kingdom, and from March with the Galician ship who made the voyage to Ireland.
The Galicia is an E-FLEXER type vessel that, thanks to the design of its hull and bow, allows excellent seaworthiness in any weather condition. This, together with the powerful analysis of real-time data on board the ship and the development of machine learning, allow you to optimize energy efficiency at all times during your voyages. “With an approximate duration of 28 hours, the Galicia ship has a capacity of 1,050 passengers and has 343 cabins with private bathrooms, some of which are adapted for passengers with reduced mobility. Passengers will access the ship on foot or by bicycle, a new way of traveling that we are going to promote to publicize the spectacular landscapes and gastronomy of Ireland and the Basque Country”, comments Roberto Castilla, director of Brittany Ferries in Spain.
For its part, the Salamaca ship was inaugurated last March and is the first Brittany Ferries ferry to use liquefied natural gas (LNG), a fuel that, thanks to a more efficient combustion process, reduces emissions by 20%. carbon dioxide versus traditional fossil fuels. The Salamanca is the result of a €550 million investment that Brittany Ferries has made to renew its fleet, including three new LNG-powered ships. “The Salamanca ship will be our flagship ship operating in the Port of Bilbao, with two weekly departures linking the English port of Portsmouth with Bilbao,” says Castilla.
Brittany Ferries ships are ferries – cruise, for their quality and comfort; and the Port of Bilbao is a strategic entry point for many British and Irish who will stop at the Basque Country to enjoy, mainly, its natural spaces –both inland and on the coast–, its cultural heritage or its rich and varied gastronomy, among others. many attractions offered by the region and the north of the peninsula.
Cruise tourism in the Port of Bilbao
The Port of Bilbao also receives significant cruise traffic. In 2022, 78 cruise ships and 108,154 tourists docked at the Getxo terminal, mostly British, followed by Americans and Germans.
In 2022, the ships of companies already habitual in this port were joined by shipping companies that bet on this destination for the first time, thanks to the good reception that the infrastructures and services, such as Wi-Fi, offered by the Port of Bilbao have in the sector. , as well as the operability of the cruise terminal, the flexibility and ease of managing stopovers and their tourists. In the same way, the shipping companies highlight the proximity of the Getxo terminal to the airport, which allows them to offer boarding operations, the tourist attractions of our destination and the varied offer in a nearby environment, provided by Bizkaia, Donostia-San Sebastián and Álava. –Rioja Alavesa.
As a result of the promotional work, including participation in Fitur and in the main specialized fairs of the sector together with the tourism managers of Bilbao, Bizkaia and the Basque Country to promote the destination, the Bilbao Port Authority estimates that in 2023 the records will be exceeded reached last 2022. In fact, the Turn around for the month of May to Israel has already been confirmed, which will depart from Getxo, and the six calls that MSC will carry out, a company that year after year strengthens its confidence in the Port of Bilbao.