A new adventure for ITM Group! We are happy to share that we were part of the fourth edition of CITCA Suncruise 2025. From October 15th to the 17th, we had the opportunity to connect, discuss, and learn about nautical and cruise tourism as key elements in helping position Andalusia, Ceuta, and Melilla among the elite of national and international tourism.
The event took place in two cities, with parallel activities in Motril and Granada. On the 15th, the Workshop “Connecting SMEs and Start-ups” was held in Motril. On the 16th and 17th, the Congress portion was held at the Barceló Granada Congress in Granada.
During these days, we shared with more than 50 experts in panels, conferences, and dialogues, alongside leading figures such as Ignacio Alvarez-Ossorio (Puertos Andalucia), Gerardo Landaluce (Suncruise/AP Bahia de Algeciras), Jose Garcia Fuentes (AP Motril), Rafael Caballero (Costa Tropical de Granada), and the mayor of Granada, Maria Francisca Carazo.
The main themes during the program were the following:
- The Contribution of Cruises and Nautical Activities to the Ecosystem.
- Sustainability and Innovation.
- Transformational Cruises.
- The Energies of the Future.
This time, we had the opportunity to share our vision of sustainability and best practices in the development of our projects.
On October 16th, our Director of Sustainability and Open Enterprise, Alicia Mateos, participated in the panel “Social footprint analysis. Best practices & challenges” presenting the work of our foundation, FUNDACION GENERA ITM and the impact on the communities where our ports are located. Through the foundation, we promote a model of port governance that encourages collaboration with local agents, making them participants in the drive for sustainable development and beneficiaries of economic development.
“May the port and the community share the same goal: shared prosperity. If the port does well and is successful, the community must be prosperous.” Alicia Mateos.
Our next contribution came from our Corporate Vice President and Legal Counsel, Mariana Perrilliat, who shared information about our current and next steps, and highlighted the importance of Port Governance and its impact.
But what does Port Governance mean?
Port governance is our beating heart. It is a space for participation where ports come together with communities through local community stakeholders.
It is a bottom-up model, starting locally with municipal governments, environmental or social civil society organizations, local academia, and private tourism development companies. The purpose is to improve community decision-making through roundtable discussions to promote blue tourism.
We had a great first time at CITCA Suncruise 2025. It was an incredible opportunity to connect, learn, and share ideas with professionals from across the cruise and tourism industry. We’re grateful for the experience and look forward to staying in touch with the amazing people we met. Until next time!
