CLIA welcomes Barcelona’s decision to cut two cruise terminals
Barcelona’s decision to reduce the number of cruise terminals at Adossat Wharf from seven to five in a bid to improve mobility and combat overtourism has been welcomed by CLIA
Last week Barcelona City Council and the Port of Barcelona signed an agreement to roll out a series of projects aimed at improving passenger mobility and making cruising more sustainable.
A key feature of the new agreement involves reducing the number of cruise ports by demolishing terminals A, B and C, and building a new terminal on the site of terminal C which will have capacity to serve 7,000 passengers at any given time.
In response to the decision, a CLIA spokesperson said: “The agreement between the Port of Barcelona and the City Council reflects a shared recognition that long-term, balanced tourism management requires coordinated investment in infrastructure, mobility and visitor flow.
“Cruise tourism is managed tourism, with scheduled arrivals planned years in advance and supported by guided excursions, and coordinated transportation, allowing for better tourism management and oversight.”
CLIA recognised that while cruise visitors currently represent less than 5 per cent of total tourists to Barcelona, cruise tourism contributes more than €1 billion annually to the Catalan economy and supports more than 9,000 jobs, according to the University of Barcelona.
“Ensuring the sector’s continued contribution – while enhancing sustainability – requires a thoughtful, collaborative approach, and we welcome the opportunity for ongoing dialogue and partnership with the Port of Barcelona, the City Council, and regional authorities,” the spokesperson added.
“By working together, we can ensure that cruise tourism continues to be a well-managed, economically valuable, and increasingly sustainable part of Barcelona’s future.”
In addition to the reorganisation of terminals, local authorities will invest €50 million in overhauling a 610-metre-long section of wharf, corresponding to current terminals A and B, to modernise the port’s cruise facilities.
The new terminal, Barcelona City Council said, will prioritise home port cruises and small vessels. The wharf overhaul will also facilitate the installation of onshore power supply (OPS) systems for connecting ships to the electrical grid.
The agreement includes a sustainable mobility plan, which will double the Porta d’Europa bridge to improve mobility and see the construction of an urban corridor along the Montjuïc coastline for public transport, taxis, minicabs, bikes and pedestrians.
A study to evaluate the mobility generated by cruise ships will also be drafted and will feed into a sustainable management plan for land mobility of cruise passengers.
José Alberto Carbonell, president of the Port of Barcelona, said: “The signed protocol culminates the modernisation plan for the Adossat Wharf, which began a few years ago with the goal of upgrading port infrastructure and strengthening the competitiveness of the Port of Barcelona.
“This new phase includes the demolition of three old terminals and the construction of a new state-of-the-art terminal; the rehabilitation of the wharf and the incorporation of OPS electrification systems, as well as improvements to access and mobility through the expansion of the Porta d’Europa bridge.”
By the end of 2026 Barcelona South wharf terminal will be closed and the current terminal C – which is set to be open by 2030 – will be demolished. At the start of 2027 construction of the new 7,000 pax public terminal will begin and terminal G, which is currently under construction as part of the 2018 agreement, will open.
Last year, mayor of Barcelona Jaume Collboni told Spanish newspaper El Páis that he will raise tourist tax for cruise passengers who visit the city for less than 12 hours as part of an effort to curb mass tourism to the Catalan capital.
