Aportaciones del Turismo de Cruceros al Desarrollo Local de Cartagena (Murcia, España)

Abstract

The arrival of cruise ships at the port of Cartagena (Murcia, Spain) has become in a few years one of the most value-added tourist resources for the city and its area of influence. In fact, Cartagena has risen rapidly among the top ten Spanish ports with the most cruise tourists. Throughout 2022, a total of 186 cruise ships arrived in the city with a volume of 275,554 passengers and an estimated cost value of more than 11 million euros, according to calculations of average cost per cruise passenger made by the Port Authority. The analysis of statistics, in-depth interviews and questionnaires will provide a SWOT analysis and diagnosis that will show the impact of this activity and the explanation of the reasons why Cartagena, its port and city, have become a relevant tourist destination. The future projection of this tourist product recommends some action proposals for the port/city pairing and, especially, for the case of the historic quarter. This forces us to delve into the urban and strategic planning of this thousand-year-old city, as well as into the planning coming from the Port Authority itself. This research is committed to the existence of a sustainable development of tourist and port activity, as well as the urban space and its surrounding area that houses a relevant cultural, archaeological and landscape heritage that, together with the benefits of the Mediterranean climate, allows visits to the city throughout any season of the year.