CLIA’s fifth annual Port & Destination Summit attracted a record number of attendees, with more than 300 executives taking part.

The event, which took place in Lisbon, 17-18 September, included more than 60 cruise line decision-makers and CLIA’s Port & Destination community partners.

Cruise lines attending for the first time included the yet-to-launch Virgin Voyages and Windstar Cruises.

Bo Nylandsted Larsen, CLIA’s senior vice president, strategic partnerships, said: “I am delighted with the positive response to our fifth Port & Destination Summit.

“We had an incredibly diverse range of cruise lines, representing all sectors of the cruise industry, and 40 first-time time attendees, a great indication of continued interest in this event and our Executive Partner Program.

“One of the new features for the 2018 event was an interactive spot the itinerary session, in which participants teamed up to match a number of global itineraries with the correct cruise lines. The lively session was hosted by David Selby, managing director of Travelyields, and promoted a great mix of competition and collaboration amongst the teams.”

Steven Young, vice president port & shore operations, Carnival UK, said: “The team at CLIA put together another great summit. The mix of conference sessions, offering insight from both inside and outside of the industry, plus the opportunity to have multiple one-on-one meetings was very beneficial to all parties. 

“Plus, the advice from international pitch coach David Beckett, offering insight on the best way on how to succinctly present your ideas, was a great tool to equip participants with ahead of an afternoon of one-on-one meetings with cruise lines.”

CLIA’s next event is the Summit At Sea, which will take place onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas from 11 to 14 October, sailing from Civitaveccia to Barcelona.

Stuart Leven, vice president, EMEA, and managing director of RCL Cruises Ltd., will host this year’s event.