Galveston, TX (October 17, 2019) – Galveston Wharves Port Director Rodger Rees will be touting the benefits of Galveston as a cruise homeport to cruise executives from around the world at the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) annual conference and trade show Oct. 21-25 in Puerto Rico.
Rees will take the opportunity to network with more than 100 cruise executives to attract new cruise lines to Galveston, the fourth busiest cruise port in North America. In 2018 Galveston Wharves welcomed almost 1 million cruise passengers on a total 268 sailings by Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean cruise lines.
“My goal will be to highlight the advantages of choosing Galveston as a homeport. We’re driving distance for millions of cruise passengers, provide great service to our cruise customers and their passengers, and are only 30 minutes from open seas” Rees said.
He added that growing Galveston’s cruise business means higher revenues for the port, more waterfront jobs, more port parking sales tax revenue paid to the city, and more business to Galveston hotels, restaurants and shops.
Rees also will attend presentations and specialized workshops focusing on a range of cruise industry topics.
FCCA, which hosts the largest cruise industry conference in the region, works with governments, ports and private sector representatives to maximize cruise passenger, crew and cruise line spending, as well as enhance the destination experience and increase the amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors.
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About the Port of Galveston
Perfectly situated at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Wharves has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 30 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo and commercial businesses. As the fourth busiest U.S. cruise port, it welcomed almost 1 million cruise passengers in 2018. One of the top 50 ports in the U.S and one of the busiest in Texas, the port moved 4 million tons of cargo in 2018 and has an estimated annual state economic impact of $2.3 billion.