The global cruise industry will converge on the Santa Catalina Terminal at Las Palmas Cruise Port on September 16–17, 2026. This marks the first time Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has hosted Seatrade Cruise Med, a biennial event focused on high-level business negotiations between cruise lines, port authorities, and destination managers.

The event is designed as a commercial engine rather than a consumer showcase. Data indicates a heavy concentration of decision-makers: 83% of attending cruise-line buyers possess direct purchasing power, and 45% hold director-level positions or higher.

The choice of Las Palmas is strategic. The port is a high-volume operational hub, having handled 346 cruise calls and over one million passengers in 2025. This allows executives to evaluate terminal operations and passenger flow in a live environment.

Global Participation and Scale The exhibition features a massive international footprint, with representatives from 97+ countries. Spain maintains a dominant presence, with delegations from A Coruña, Alicante, Avilés, Bilbao, Cartagena, Castellón, Ferrol, Gijón, Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo, and Vilagarcía.

Other major national delegations include:

  • United Kingdom: Represented by Cruise Britain and ports including Aberdeen, Dart, Fowey, Liverpool, Falmouth, Portsmouth, Portland, Guernsey, London, and the Isle of Man, alongside Scotland and Wales.
  • Norway: Represented by Cruise Norway and destinations such as Bergen, Bodø, Eidfjord, Flåm, Hammerfest, Kristiansund, Narvik, Nordfjordeid, North Cape, Oslo, Skjolden, Stavanger, and Haugesund.
  • Asia & Americas: Participation from the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Japanese destinations including Tokyo, Shizuoka, Wakayama, Kochi, Kagoshima, Fukui, Kumamoto, Kanazawa, and Kyoto Maizuru. North and South American representation includes British Columbia Cruise Services, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic (Puerto La Romana and Puerto Sans Souci).

The event also bridges gaps into emerging markets, with participation from Cruise Arabia, Algeria Cruise Services, and Rennies South Africa.

Cruise Line Presence The commercial viability of the event is anchored by the attendance of the world's largest cruise brands, including:

  • Mainstream: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Costa.
  • Luxury & Niche: Aman at Sea, Four Seasons Yachts, Explora Journeys, Silversea, Viking.
  • Regional/Specialized: AIDA Cruises, Azamara, Celestyal Cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Marella Cruises, TUI Cruises.

Data Table: Event Specifications

Metric Detail
Dates 16–17 September 2026
Location Santa Catalina Terminal, Las Palmas Cruise Port, Spain
Expected Attendees 2,000+ cruise professionals
Cruise-Line Personnel 220+
Exhibitors 180+
Country Representation 97+
Buyer Purchasing Power 83%
Buyer Seniority 45% Director level or above
2025 Port Volume 1M+ passengers / 346 cruise calls

Why This Matters

From a logistical perspective, shifting the event to Las Palmas signals a pivot toward the Atlantic. While the "Med" is in the name, the location leverages the Canary Islands' position as a gateway between Europe, West Africa, and the Americas.

For operators, this is a move toward "year-round" viability. By centering the event in a region that supports longer seasons, the industry is actively seeking to decouple cruise tourism from the strict summer seasonality of the Mediterranean. For port authorities in the UK and Norway, the presence of 220+ cruise-line personnel provides a rare, single-point opportunity to secure commitments for northern itineraries that are traditionally harder to fill.

Industry Outlook

Expect a surge in "inter-continental" itinerary announcements following this event. The heavy presence of Japanese and South American delegations suggests a push toward more diverse, global routing that bypasses traditional Caribbean-Mediterranean binaries. We anticipate a specific focus on sustainability and terminal efficiency, as the "live" nature of the Las Palmas venue will force a conversation on how to handle the 1-million-passenger threshold without degrading the destination experience.

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