SPAIN. Carnival Corporation & plc, the leading cruise travel company, is seeking expressions of interest from potential partners in a duty free retail opportunity at Barcelona Cruise Terminal (BCT). The news was first reported by Travel Markets Insider*, with further details confirmed with Carnival Corp by The Moodie Davitt Report.
The opportunity covers both duty free and duty paid stores across two zones and around 700sq m of total space. This comprises around 550sq m in a new cruise terminal and 160sq m in the adjacent ‘Palacruceros’ terminal.
The first retail area (around 550sq m) will be located within the embarkation and disembarkation lounge of the newest and largest cruise terminal in Europe, currently under construction and set to open for business in early Spring 2018. Build-out of the stores should begin in mid to late 2017.
Carnival said in a statement: “BCT is requesting expressions of interest from qualified bidders for the exclusive right to develop, design, fund, construct, operate, and manage the duty free stores within the existing Palacruceros Terminal and for the soon-to-be-built Terminal E under lease agreement.
“The space associated with this lease opportunity should have a ‘destination’ feel and may be used only for the exclusive sale of permitted speciality retail merchandise such as tax and duty free/duty paid merchandise including but not limited to fragrances, liquors and tobacco.”
The company added: “The new cruise terminal will welcome the largest and most advanced cruise ships in the world and will be the only terminal in Barcelona capable of receiving the new XL class of ship.”
According to the Port of Barcelona, Barcelona is the largest cruise destination in Europe with 2.5 million passengers in calendar year 2015 and 749 calls. This represents a +7% increase over 2014. Within this, Carnival passenger volumes were around 900,000 in 2015. Carnival brands that use the Barcelona seaport include Aida, Costa, CCL, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, P&O and Seabourn.
This is expected to increase for the 2018 season with the opening of the new terminal and introduction of the XL class ship to the Mediterranean itineraries, noted the company.
Carnival said in 2015 that it was investing over €30 million to build and operate the new terminal at Barcelona. The port is used by seven of the company’s 10 cruise line brands as both a destination and home port. As part of the agreement, the Port Authority granted Carnival Corporation administrative concessions to operate the cruise terminal and all-new parking facility at Europe’s largest port and the fourth busiest port in the world.
The deadline for submissions of interest in the duty free opportunity is 9 September.
Contact Richard Cooke at rcooke@carnival.com
*Travel Markets Insider is a leading industry publication for travel retail in the Americas. The Moodie Davitt Report and Travel Markets Insider have a close, informal working relationship.
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