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18 Aug 2023 - CRUISE TIMES
CRUISE TIMES
Global Ports Holding (GPH) began its growth trajectory in 2004 when it took on Ege Port Kusadasi. Nineteen years later, the company is working with 27 ports and counting.
While acknowledging that the growth has been phenomenal, GPH chief operations officer Stephen Xuereb told Cruise Times: “We are only warming up . . . when you consider that all over the world there are well over 1,000 cruise ports, we are only getting started.”
May 2023 saw the grand opening of Nassau Cruise Port. The $300 million (€279 million) project included berth extensions, waterfront development, and a terminal building. Once the works are completed, the port’s passenger capacity will increase from 20,000 to over 33,000 people a day.
Nassau is a fine example of GPH’s core value of being “global but local” – in this case meaning that passengers will arrive to a truly Bahamian experience. “We employ locals in the ports, as we feel that it is a very important aspect to our product offering,” said Xuereb.
The company secured its first foothold in America in 2022, when Prince Rupert Cruise Port signed up to a terminal operating agreement. Others are in the pipeline. Xuereb: “I think our focus now is to grow both in the Caribbean and the Americas.
“We would like to replicate what we did in the Mediterranean in other regions, whereby you have ports close to each other, which can form part of the network we have. We see ports as not necessarily competing but being complementary to each other; for example, Barcelona and transit ports in the vicinity makes for an attractive proposition.”
One thing for certain is that the growth is sustainable, whether from an environmental, social, or governance perspective. “It is a very important topic, and we strive to do things within the correct parameters.
“Essentially we are a transportation project. We are trying to facilitate the smooth movement of people around the cities, taking into consideration always that sustainability development is key to the future of this industry,” said Xuereb. He credits having a team with different experiences and capabilities as one of the company’s key strengths. “We have teams now from across the globe, from four continents. Our strength is in knowledge sharing and a collaborative spirit. I think that gives us the strength to keep developing.”
When trying to acquire a new port or set up an operation in a new port, teams from different regions come together to help each other out. In Kalundborg in Denmark, for example, a representative from Valletta and one from Spain are assisting the operation.
At this point Xuereb is keen to emphasise that GPH has developed a business model where there is no one-size-fits- all: “The model is adapted to the local realities in the regions in the country we are operating.” Collaboration of all stakeholders is also a key to success: “We like to be the preferred partner for the cruise line, the port authorities, the municipalities, the government, et cetera. And we want to be also the perfect partner for the cruise guest because, at the end of the day, they are getting the experience.”
Discussing GPH’s position in the market, Xuereb said: “I think we are well positioned in the industry to handle any competition. In this situation, post-Covid, I think cruise lines are happy to concentrate on their operation rather than developing ports. We are here. This is what we do. This is our core business.”
Xuereb is also confident in GPH’s track record and the fact that it is an independent operator: “We operate mainly public terminals which are open to all cruise lines, so that we are not restricted in that respect. We try and give a clear and transparent working policy, so that everyone has the opportunity to find a berth in the ports we operate. I think that is very, very important.”
Investing in the future
The company invests in many of the ports it acquires, for example 40 million into the three ports in the Canary Islands and 2 million into refurbishing and modernising the cruise terminal in Alicante. “Our main objective is that our ports are future-ready,” said Xuereb. “We have to cater to the new realities, and of course we also have to cater to new challenges that the industry will bring, for example onshore power supply, in collaboration with local authorities who are trying to address these as well.”
Although energy supply is not at the core of what GPH does, Xuereb says the company will assist where it can. For example, the government has invested in onshore power supply in Valletta, but GPH provided the facilities for laying cables and helped in the project. He added: “We are in discussions with governments in other countries where similar models are being developed. If we see opportunities to develop this ourselves, I am sure we will look into it. Of course there has to be enough traffic to sustain this.”
GPH is constantly developing its services, whether in terms of infrastructure or cruise guests. It recently developed a company, Global Ports Services, capable of handling integrated terminal services. “We started in Spain, offering a one-stop shop for cruise line needs, such as ground handling, stevedoring, port agency, et cetera,” said Xuereb. “This has been very well received. We have expanded the service into many ports in Spain, not only those run by GPH but others too, as there are particular cruise lines that want us to handle their ships also in ports, which are not necessarily operated by GPH. I think this is the way forward.”
The company also recently formed a strategic alliance with Talleres Milan (Milan Port Equipment) to provide solutions for all the port equipment needs that can arise from public and private companies in the sector.
On the guest side, GPH supports independent guests, providing a standard level of service and price point through its booking service. It also recently launched an app, Cruise Genie, which will help users identify bottlenecks at attractions and will suggest alternatives: for example, if there is a two-hour queue to get into the Sagrada Família, why not go to the Gaudí park instead? “Undoubtedly people flocking to the main attractions in a particular city is always a big challenge, so we are trying to mitigate this. Crowd management is an important part of the future,” Xuereb said.
GPH is dedicated to providing a level of consistency and service throughout all its ports, whatever the infrastructure deployed. It has developed its own GPH bible containing all the relevant processes and systems, and it has developed a Health Safety and Environment (HSE) code which is used throughout the ports in its network, although adapted to local realities.
Reflecting on the challenges to be faced, Xuereb highlighted that “infrastructure is not keeping up with the supply. There are many new ships coming onto the market, but really and truly only a limited number of quays being constructed.” For example, Nassau has an additional quay, a new berth is coming to Antigua, and one of the main quays in Valletta is being expanded.
Xuereb spoke about GPH’s plans for the near future: “We are looking at developing attractions, but that very much differs between regions. In the Caribbean you need to create attractions, but in Europe, the Med, we are blessed with attractions, so it is a different proposition.”
With GPH clearly poised for further growth, the subject of whether the company would consider developing a private island came up. “With my boss, you can never say never,” said Xuereb. “He is a dreamer, so you never know. But why not?”
18 Aug 2023
CRUISE TIMES
Global Ports Holding (GPH) began its growth trajectory in 2004 when it took on Ege Port Kusadasi. Nineteen years later, the company is working with 27 ports and counting.
While acknowledging that the growth has been phenomenal, GPH chief operations officer Stephen Xuereb told Cruise Times: “We are only warming up . . . when you consider that all over the world there are well over 1,000 cruise ports, we are only getting started.”
May 2023 saw the grand opening of Nassau Cruise Port. The $300 million (€279 million) project included berth extensions, waterfront development, and a terminal building. Once the works are completed, the port’s passenger capacity will increase from 20,000 to over 33,000 people a day.
Nassau is a fine example of GPH’s core value of being “global but local” – in this case meaning that passengers will arrive to a truly Bahamian experience. “We employ locals in the ports, as we feel that it is a very important aspect to our product offering,” said Xuereb.
The company secured its first foothold in America in 2022, when Prince Rupert Cruise Port signed up to a terminal operating agreement. Others are in the pipeline. Xuereb: “I think our focus now is to grow both in the Caribbean and the Americas.
“We would like to replicate what we did in the Mediterranean in other regions, whereby you have ports close to each other, which can form part of the network we have. We see ports as not necessarily competing but being complementary to each other; for example, Barcelona and transit ports in the vicinity makes for an attractive proposition.”
One thing for certain is that the growth is sustainable, whether from an environmental, social, or governance perspective. “It is a very important topic, and we strive to do things within the correct parameters.
“Essentially we are a transportation project. We are trying to facilitate the smooth movement of people around the cities, taking into consideration always that sustainability development is key to the future of this industry,” said Xuereb. He credits having a team with different experiences and capabilities as one of the company’s key strengths. “We have teams now from across the globe, from four continents. Our strength is in knowledge sharing and a collaborative spirit. I think that gives us the strength to keep developing.”
When trying to acquire a new port or set up an operation in a new port, teams from different regions come together to help each other out. In Kalundborg in Denmark, for example, a representative from Valletta and one from Spain are assisting the operation.
At this point Xuereb is keen to emphasise that GPH has developed a business model where there is no one-size-fits- all: “The model is adapted to the local realities in the regions in the country we are operating.” Collaboration of all stakeholders is also a key to success: “We like to be the preferred partner for the cruise line, the port authorities, the municipalities, the government, et cetera. And we want to be also the perfect partner for the cruise guest because, at the end of the day, they are getting the experience.”
Discussing GPH’s position in the market, Xuereb said: “I think we are well positioned in the industry to handle any competition. In this situation, post-Covid, I think cruise lines are happy to concentrate on their operation rather than developing ports. We are here. This is what we do. This is our core business.”
Xuereb is also confident in GPH’s track record and the fact that it is an independent operator: “We operate mainly public terminals which are open to all cruise lines, so that we are not restricted in that respect. We try and give a clear and transparent working policy, so that everyone has the opportunity to find a berth in the ports we operate. I think that is very, very important.”
Investing in the future
The company invests in many of the ports it acquires, for example 40 million into the three ports in the Canary Islands and 2 million into refurbishing and modernising the cruise terminal in Alicante. “Our main objective is that our ports are future-ready,” said Xuereb. “We have to cater to the new realities, and of course we also have to cater to new challenges that the industry will bring, for example onshore power supply, in collaboration with local authorities who are trying to address these as well.”
Although energy supply is not at the core of what GPH does, Xuereb says the company will assist where it can. For example, the government has invested in onshore power supply in Valletta, but GPH provided the facilities for laying cables and helped in the project. He added: “We are in discussions with governments in other countries where similar models are being developed. If we see opportunities to develop this ourselves, I am sure we will look into it. Of course there has to be enough traffic to sustain this.”
GPH is constantly developing its services, whether in terms of infrastructure or cruise guests. It recently developed a company, Global Ports Services, capable of handling integrated terminal services. “We started in Spain, offering a one-stop shop for cruise line needs, such as ground handling, stevedoring, port agency, et cetera,” said Xuereb. “This has been very well received. We have expanded the service into many ports in Spain, not only those run by GPH but others too, as there are particular cruise lines that want us to handle their ships also in ports, which are not necessarily operated by GPH. I think this is the way forward.”
The company also recently formed a strategic alliance with Talleres Milan (Milan Port Equipment) to provide solutions for all the port equipment needs that can arise from public and private companies in the sector.
On the guest side, GPH supports independent guests, providing a standard level of service and price point through its booking service. It also recently launched an app, Cruise Genie, which will help users identify bottlenecks at attractions and will suggest alternatives: for example, if there is a two-hour queue to get into the Sagrada Família, why not go to the Gaudí park instead? “Undoubtedly people flocking to the main attractions in a particular city is always a big challenge, so we are trying to mitigate this. Crowd management is an important part of the future,” Xuereb said.
GPH is dedicated to providing a level of consistency and service throughout all its ports, whatever the infrastructure deployed. It has developed its own GPH bible containing all the relevant processes and systems, and it has developed a Health Safety and Environment (HSE) code which is used throughout the ports in its network, although adapted to local realities.
Reflecting on the challenges to be faced, Xuereb highlighted that “infrastructure is not keeping up with the supply. There are many new ships coming onto the market, but really and truly only a limited number of quays being constructed.” For example, Nassau has an additional quay, a new berth is coming to Antigua, and one of the main quays in Valletta is being expanded.
Xuereb spoke about GPH’s plans for the near future: “We are looking at developing attractions, but that very much differs between regions. In the Caribbean you need to create attractions, but in Europe, the Med, we are blessed with attractions, so it is a different proposition.”
With GPH clearly poised for further growth, the subject of whether the company would consider developing a private island came up. “With my boss, you can never say never,” said Xuereb. “He is a dreamer, so you never know. But why not?”
