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thMEDCRUISE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 14 - 17 June 2017

GIBRALTAR 50th MedCruise General Assembly #50MedCruiseGA

#VISITGIBRALTAR MEDCRUISE WELCOME

It is with great pleasure to welcome you all in Gibraltar, a destination offering premier cruise opportunities, and celebrate together the 50th edition of the MedCruise General Assembly. Set up in 1996, MedCruise has grown to a membership of more than 100 ports in 20 countries and 34 associate members, representing the majority of passenger movements and cruise calls in the region. Our General Assembly has emerged as a major cruise event in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas, bringing together cruise ports, their partners and invited cruise lines, to shape together a most productive future for all. In 2016, MedCruise membership welcomed 27,4 million cruise passenger movements and almost than 13.500 cruise calls. Despite the challenges faced in its Eastern part, the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas is a most attractive region having all the potential to grow further. The 50th MedCruise General Assembly is a great opportunity for our members to discuss how to achieve and further benefit from this growth. MedCruise members and the users of our services will have the chance to identify how to successfully respond to the challenges of cruise activities expansion, adapting operational practices and updating infrastructures and services required. We will also have the opportunity to discuss, both in plenary and during B2B meetings and dedicated interactive workshop sessions, with our esteemed guests on how the port industry can best advance sustainable cruise activities in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. I invite you all to enjoy the sessions, contribute to the debate, benefit from the networking opportunities, and enjoy the hospitality of wonderful Gibraltar.

Kristijan Pavić MedCruise President

Set up in Rome on the 11th of June 1996, MedCruise is the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports. MedCruise’s mission is to promote the cruise industry in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. The Association assists its members in benefiting from the growth of the cruise industry by providing networking, promotional, and professional development opportunities. Today, the association has grown to represent more than 100 ports around the Mediterranean region, including the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the Near Atlantic, plus 34 associate members, representing other associations, tourist boards and ship/port agents. MedCruise Secretariat From L-R: Aimilia Papachristou, Thanos Pallis (SG), Kleopatra Arapi GIBRALTAR’S WELCOME

On behalf of Her Majesty’s I like to welcome you all the 50th MedCruise General Assembly.

MedCruise is one of the most respected Associations of its kind and we are proud to be a founding member. The work of the Association is crucial in ensuring that Gibraltar stays at the forefront of this very competitive industry. We are honoured that the Association has chosen to meet here for the second time in its 21-year history. I have no doubt that you will experience the best that Gibraltarian hospitality has to offer and will enjoy the excellent facilities available for you to carry out your work in a productive manner over the next few days. Hosting this General Assembly is part of our Government’s untiring support to this industry, which is so valuable to our local tourism, leisure and retail businesses.

Enjoy your stay on the Rock and please come back and visit us again soon.

The Hon QC, MP Minister for Tourism, Employment, Commercial Aviation and the Port

I’d like to extend a very warm Gibraltarian welcome to all of you on the occasion of the 50th MedCruise General Assembly.

Having worked within the MedCruise family for over twenty years, it is particularly rewarding to be a part of the teams that are hosting this event for the second time, here in this wonderful location at the entrance to the Mediterranean.

The Gibraltar Tourist Board dedicates much of its time to creating personal relationships with all of you, to ensure that together we work to achieve growth in this competitive and challenging industry.

The Association is crucial in helping us to understand the needs of the industry and how we can all adjust and work harder to ensure a sustainable future.

I’d like to thank the team at the Gibraltar Tourist Board, Thanos, Aimilia and Kleopatra of the MedCruise Secretariat and the for their help in organising this event.

I’d also like to thank those sponsoring the event, in particular to M H Bland/Calypso Tours who are Associate Members of MedCruise.

We do hope that you have a fruitful visit and that you may also take some time to enjoy the majestic .

Nicky Guerrero Chief Executive Gibraltar Tourist Board PORT WELCOME

As a cruise destination Gibraltar has it all: location, facilities, unrivalled levels of service and an abundance of attractions and I am delighted to report that its popularity is growing all the time.

The is strategically located only minutes away from the busy shipping lanes of the . The port itself has the berthing capacity to handle four medium sized cruise ships or two large and two small ones at any one time. In addition, cruise ships can anchor in the bay, with passengers being transferred ashore by boat. Our role in the Port Authority is to ensure that cruise ship passengers transit through our facilities as smoothly as possible. Thereafter, access to the many and varied attractions that Gibraltar has to offer is only minutes away.

Looking to the future, we are planning to develop the cruise ship infrastructure in the port further, in conjunction with the Gibraltar Tourist Board and HM Government of Gibraltar. In the meantime, the port can handle all but the very largest cruise ships in the world, currently operating or due to operate in the Mediterranean. The largest cruise ship to berth at Gibraltar so far is ‘The Ovation of the Seas’ with 4010 passengers - she visited Gibraltar in 2016.

We have also introduced a number of initiatives recently to further improve passenger experience. Visiting cruise ships can now open their casinos and other revenue generating outlets after 6pm local time, while berthed in Gibraltar – just another incentive to allow vessels to remain in port for longer periods, thereby saving fuel and cruise passengers can benefit from a wider variety of shore excursion options. Off-duty crew and passengers are also able to go ashore in the evening to enjoy Gibraltar’s nightlife including its superb range of restaurants. The initiative has been popular with cruise companies with just under 15% cruise vessels taking advantage of this incentive during 2016. HM Government of Gibraltar has also provided substantial investment to improve the tourist product on offer and continues to enhance attractions and general infrastructure to make the cruise passengers’ visit a memorable one.

I am sure you will be impressed with what Gibraltar has to offer - enjoy your stay!

Commodore Bob Sanguinetti CEO and Captain of the Port

MUCH MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE. ESTEEMED GUESTS

CRUISE LINE REPRESENTATIVES

Spyros Almpertis Manager Port Operation & Disbursement Accounts Silversea Cruises

Spyros was born in Piraeus, a beautiful town and Port of Athens. He has been part of Silversea Finance Team since 2010 in multiple positions on board, as well part of shoreside Team involved in shoreside and ship projects.

His 20 years’ experience working with ships started 1995 with the Greek navy and projected him into a growing curve in multiple positions though Festival Cruises, Holland America, NCL, P&O and finally Silversea Cruises. Spyros is of Greek Nationality and speaks English and Greek. He studied Finance and Ship Management at the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine institute.

Kerry Anastassiadis CEO, Celestyal Cruises Chairman, CLIA

Kyriakos ( Kerry ) Anastassiadis is the CEO of Celestyal Cruises and the current Chairman of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) Europe. Prior to taking the helm at Celestyal Cruises, Kerry distinguished himself as General Manager, CEO and President at renowned corporations such as The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, Polaroid and Aujan Industries. Mr. Anastassiadis’s mother tongues are Greek and English, and he is also fluent in French, Italian and Portuguese. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Southern Africa, Kerry studied Commerce at the University of Witwatersrand and obtained his postgraduate title in Market Research and Advertising.

Paul Britton Marine Operations Manager Disney Cruise Line

Deck officer at sea with P&O / Princess Cruises from cadet to navigator from 2000 to 2008, followed by Safety Officer with Irish Ferries and Thomson Cruises. Came ashore in 2011 as Marine Operations Manager for Thomson Cruises, before taking my current role in 2015. I am responsible for Disney’s global itineraries and port operations.

Alessandro Carollo Head of Port Operations, Europe, Middle East, Africa and India Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.

His career started in 2000 as port agent for several local agencies in Venice and other national Port Agency Services providers, such as Medov and Inchcape Shipping Services. At RCCL he is responsible to deliver operational excellence aimed at total guests satisfaction, in charge for relationship management with port authorities and governmental offices, selection and management of vendors and port agencies, development of new ports of call, management of port costs budget, management of berthing allocations and conflicts as well as management of emergencies that may arise.

Holds a PFSO certification and since 2014 he is a member of CLIA Europe’s Ports and Destinations committee. ESTEEMED GUESTS

CRUISE LINE REPRESENTATIVES

Claudius Docekal Vice President, Deployment Crystal Cruises

Responsibilities include the deployment of Crystal Serenity, Crystal Symphony; Crystal Esprit & Endeavour Yacht Expedition Cruises; Five Crystal River Cruise vessels; the Crystal Luxury Air Global Express and the luxury 84-seat Crystal AirCruises B777; as well as all new projects and fleet additions.

Claudius also consults with charter clients to increase this important segment of the business; assists the sales department with group sales and hosts Travel Partner webinars. He also works closely with the marketing department in formulating the destination message to the customers and media.

James Langley Head of Marine Operations Saga Cruises

James started his career at sea and has experience on a range of vessels including Cruise Ships, he joined Saga in 2014 as Marine Superintendent after 5 years at the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). Now Head of Marine Operations, James is operationally responsible for Marine and Port Operations, including marine itinerary planning, port selection, agency and port agreements and ensuring the company’s itineraries are performed successfully.

Jacqui Nobile Port and Shore Excursion Operations Manager Thomson Cruises

Jacqui Nobile is the Port and Shore Excursion Operations Manager for Thomson Cruises. She started her career with the company over 20years ago after graduating from the University of Bournemouth with a degree in Tourism Studies. Following a stint as an overseas representative, she then spent 3 years working onboard Thomson Cruises vessels managing their shore excursions and all aspects of the customer service operation. In 2000, she returned to the UK where she worked with Britannia Airways (now Thomson Airways) at Gatwick Airport in ground Operations until 2004 when she took up her current role of Port and Shore Excursion Operations Manager for Thomson Cruises. Her responsibilities include shore excursion contracting, and end-to-end delivery of the programme, ground operations, and she supports in the itinerary planning and port selection for all deployment areas. ESTEEMED GUESTS

CRUISE LINE REPRESENTATIVES

Luigi Pastena Port Operations Director MSC Cruise Management (UK)

Luigi Pastena was born in Piano di Sorrento on August 5th, 1956 and graduated in “Nino Bixio Nautical Institute“ during the school session 1973-1974. The “Nino Bixio Nautical Institute“ is one of the most important nautical schools in Italy and gave the graduation to Mr.Aponte too.

He started to sail on November 1974, with an American company and, during a 12 years period, he had got experienced on tanker, ro-ro car carriers, bulk cargo vessels. He got master licence in 1983 and from 1986 to 1993 he worked with ECOLMARE on board ecological boats in cooperation with the “Ministero Della Marina Mercantile Italiana“.

In 1994 he joined MSC and had alternated periods on board cargo and passenger vessel, with the rank of master and staff captain/master. In 2003 he was called by Mr. La Scala, Director of Cruise Technical Dept., to work in the office.

In 2004, due to some improvements in the management, he was assigned the job of Port Captain. On behalf of the owner, the Port Captain helps to plan the itineraries from the aspect of technical matters, and is responsible of the Port Operations worldwide and select the agencies, on behalf of MSC Cruises S.A., in the ports called by MSC Cruise vessels.

Since June 2016, he is working for MSC Cruise Management UK as Port Operation Director in Port Operations Department.

Marios Polydorou Shorex and Port Operations Manager Celestyal Cruises

Marios Polydorou is the Shorex and Port Operations Manager at Celestyal Cruises taking care of all land arrangements for the company’s vessels and ensuring Celestyal’s guests live true authentic experiences ashore. He has been at the company for nearly 20 years and comes with an extensive international experience in cruising, having been company representative in many destinations including the Balearic and Canary Islands, Malaga, Nice, , Corfu, Cyprus, Sharm El Sheikh, Barbados and Santo Domingo. He is currently heavily involved in Celestyal’s Cuba operation and is actively participating in several future projects. Marios was born in the UK and studied at the University of Surrey where he obtained an MSc in International Hotel Management. When he is not working he enjoys travelling and tries to visit at least one new destination per year ESTEEMED GUESTS

INTERNATIONAL PRESS REPRESENTATIVES

Chris Ashcroft Cruise Insight

Chris Ashcroft has been involved in the cruise industry for over 25 years and since 2007 has been managing director of Ashcroft & Associates – publisher of separate digital and print versions of the trade magazine Cruise Insight. The team of industry professionals ask what?, why?, when? where? and how? to find the answers to the difficult issues of the moment. Chris Ashcroft also moderates cruise industry conferences on behalf of ports and cruise associations.

Mary Bond Seatrade Cruise Review / Seatrade Cruise News

Mary Bond is managing director publishing and content at Seatrade, overseeing the company’s cruise and maritime print and online portfolio as well as playing a leading role in shaping live content at Seatrade’s global cruise events. The editor of Seatrade Cruise News and Seatrade Cruise Review quarterly, the official magazine at Seatrade cruise events worldwide, since both titles were launched, respectively in 1997 and 2000. She has worked in the shipping industry for 37 years, first for Lloyd’s Register of Shipping before joining Seatrade’s editorial team in 1985. She covers global cruise stories, as well as editing and overseeing Seatrade’s extensive team of cruise expert writers and moderates at industry events. She is also on the steering committee of CruiseBritian. Mary had edited MedCruise News and MedCruise Yearbook since mid-2000.

Antonio Boromeo Cruise Industry News

A graduate of the Italian Nautical school “Leone Acciaiuoli”, Ortona, Italy, and a former Chief Engineer, Antonio started his career at sea in 1979 as Cadet Engineer with Almare an Italian ship owner. Soon after he joined Carnival aboard its first newbuilding, the Tropicale, also spending time at sea with Chevron and on dredging and oil ships in the engineering department. Currently he resides in Italy from where he covers the European market for Cruise Industry News.

Keith Ellis Cruiseworthy

Keith Ellis, the previous founder and owner of the trade journal Cruise Ports & Destinations, sold the journal in order to develop two new on line travel agent services in 2015, carrying news on smaller luxury, boutique and expedition ships and their port destination details. cruiselates.com lists late cruise getaway opportunities, with itinerary details, for busy people seeking to cruise within the next 8 to 10 weeks. This information is available for both agents and cruise buyers.

The on line cruise newsletter Stowaway is read by UK agents and distributed to their customer data bases, with first issues reaching twenty thousand potential cruise buyers. Several additional UK cruise travel agents are planning to distribute Stowaway to their customers in coming months, with a targeted distribution of over fifty thousand to potential cruise buyers... Coverage of the facilities and shoreside attractions of Medcruise member ports is planned for future issues ESTEEMED GUESTS

INTERNATIONAL PRESS REPRESENTATIVES

Frances Gannon Cruise Times

CruiseTimes’ main focus is to provide essential reading and reports to key decision-makers in the global cruise trade, through our analysis of developments in the cruise industry worldwide. CruiseTimes’ was launched in 2016 and will be published three times per year from 2017 onwards: March/Spring, July/Summer, and December/Winter. In addition to the printed publication, each issue is available in digital format on our website www.cruisetimes.net.

Kalle Id Cruise Business Review

A journalist and maritime historian with a Master’s Degree from Helsinki University, Kalle has been following the development of the cruise industry for the past decade, reporting about it for both international publications and those from his native country of Finland.

Kalle joined Cruise Business Review, the indsutry business-to-business magazine and website as a contributing writer and photographer in 2015. Cruise Business Review is published three times a year with a distribution of over 6,000. Daily news service is provided as www.cruisebusiness.com.

Jon Ingleton International Cruise and Ferry Review

Jon Ingleton is the executive editor of International Cruise & Ferry Review, the biannual global guide to passenger shipping. Jon led the team that launched the magazine almost 25-years ago and in 2011 he acquired it on behalf of Tudor Rose where he is currently managing director. In addition to directing the company’s other publishing activities, Jon has editorial responsibility for Tudor Rose’s Cruise & Ferry suite of products. In this role Jon tracks key developments and trends in the cruise and ferry sectors, leads our association memberships and related activities, represents the magazine at global events and fulfils regular editorial assignments on a range of topics. Please visit www.cruiseandferry.net and www.Tudor-Rose.co.uk for more information.

Virginia Lopez Cruises News

Virginia Lopez Valiente is the owner and CEO of Cruises News Media Group, a company dedicated to communication, marketing and promotion of the Cruise industry. Cruises News Media Group edits the magazine Cruises News and organises annually the International Cruise Summit, the Cruise Excellence Awards, Cruise Forums and Cruise Trainings. Virginia has spent most of her two-decade career leading departments of commercial, marketing and operations in international companies of various sectors such as transport, hospitality and consultancy.

Before founding Cruises News Media Group, she held various managerial posts in companies such as DHL, Panalpina Global Transport, Air Express International, Thomas International and IPS Consultants and was Director of Operations for and Portugal at Hospitality Marketing Concepts, an American multinational of marketing and loyalty programs for luxury hotels and chains. She has a degree in Business Administration, International Trade and Marketing and completed her executive program (PGD) in Marketing Management and Strategic Management at the British School of Management Sciences in London. Virginia is also the publisher and Chief editor of Cruises News, the magazine. PROGRAMME

50TH MEDCRUISE GENERAL ASSEMBLY GA Venue: The

Wednesday, 14 June 2017

08:30 - 19:00 Airport Transfers | Hotel Check-in

08:30 - 19:00 Delegate Registration

Press Conference 11:00 - 11:30 Room: Alice Suite

15:00 - 17:00 MedCruise Board of Directors meeting Room: Dougal Suite

Opening by Local Authorities & Welcome Cocktail 19:00 Venue: Mons Calpe Suite, Cable Car Station, Top of The Rock Dress: Smart Casual

Thursday, 15 June 2017

08:30 - 19:00 Delegate Registration

Discussion of internal matters and issues of interest to cruise ports 09:30 - 10:45 and their partners (#Portstogether Session) Room: Augustus Suite

10:45 - 11:00 Coffee Break Room: Augustus Suite

Discussion of internal matters and issues of interest to cruise ports 11:00 - 11:30 and their partners (#Portstogether Session) Room: Augustus Suite

Recent Changes of cruise port governance structures in the Med Room: Augustus Suite

An update on the changes that took place in the Med in recent months – input by MedCruise members that have experienced changes

11:30 - 12:00 - Italy: the creation of Port System Authorities, Guido Vettorel, (Ancona) - Greece, Theodora Riga, (Piraeus) - Cyprus: Introduction of terminal operators, (Cyprus)

Moderator: Giovanni Spadoni (Livorno / MedCruise Honorary President)

#Portstogether sessions are exclusive to MedCruise membership PROGRAMME

Interactive Workshop: The impact of Cruise Activities Room: Augustus Suite An open discussion between cruise ports and cruise lines executives on the need to measure – but also make known - the impact of cruise activities 12:00 - 12:45 - Cruise: A major contributor to local economies, Kerry Anastassiadis, Celestyal Cruises / CLIA Europe President - The importance of measuring the impact of cruise activities Airam Diaz (Tenerife/ MedCruise BoD Member) Moderator: Kristijan Pavic (Dubrovnik / MedCruise President)

12:45 - 13:45 Lunch break Bayview Terrace

In Plenary: Sustaining growth in the Med: Cruise Lines Perspectives Room: Augustus Suite

13:45 - 15:00 Alessandro Carollo, RCCL/Celebrity/Azamara Claudius Docekal, Crystal Cruises James Langley, Saga Cruises Luigi Pastena, MSC Cruises Port Perspectives: Nicky Guerrero, Gibraltar Moderator: Figen Ayan (Istanbul/ MedCruise BoD Member)

Coffee Break 15:00 - 15:15 Room: Augustus Suite

Business to Business (B2B) Meetings 15:15 - 16:45 Room: Alice Suite [Waiting Area: Dougal Suite]

17:15 Queen’s Birthday parade Dress: Lounge suit

Gala Dinner 20:30 Venue: St Michael’s Cave, , Upper Rock Dress: Lounge suit

#Portstogether sessions are exclusive to MedCruise membership PROGRAMME

Friday, 16 June 2017

08:30 - 13:30 Delegate Registration

Business to Business (B2B) Meetings 09:00 - 11:00 Room: Alice Suite [Waiting Area: Dougal Suite]

Coffee Break 11:00 - 11:30 Room: Augustus Suite

Interactive Workshop: Thematic/regional networks of cruise ports Room: Augustus Suite

Following the presentation of existing initiatives, cruise lines executives and ports will discuss on what might be the role of such network in revealing the special features of the Mediterranean gems 11:30 - 12:30 - Boutique ports Anne-Sophie Peyran, French Riviera - Western Med Island ports Jorge Nasarre, Balearic Islands - Towards a regional Adriatic and Ionian ports? Bojan Babic, Kotor - How can a local initiative help the East Med? Figen Ayan, Istanbul Moderator: Maria Cano (Palamos/ MedCruise Vice-President)

Coffee Breaks 12:30 - 12:45 Room: Augustus Suite

In Plenary: What cruise lines expect? Improving cruise port operations in the Med Room: Augustus Suite 12:45 - 13:45 Spyros Almpertis Silversea Cruises Paul Britton, Disney Cruise Line James Gardiner, Carnival UK | P&O Cruises and Cunard Moderator: Airam Diaz (Tenerife / MedCruise BoD Member)

Lunch break 13:45 - 14:30 Bayview Terrace

Business to Business (B2B) Meetings 14:30 - 16:30 Room: Alice Suite [Waiting Area: Dougal Suite]

Farewell Dinner 20:00 The Khaima, Rock Hotel, Dress: Smart Casual PROGRAMME

Saturday, 17 June 2017

09:00 - 10:30 Technical Visit: Port of Gibraltar

10:30 - 14:00 Shore Excursion

Sunday, 18 June 2017

Hotel Check-out | Airport Transfers EXCURSIONS

OPTION 1: MONKEY TALK

The ‘Gibraltar Macaque Experience’ has been devised with the aim of providing visitors to the Rock with an exclusive opportunity to learn more about these animals in the company of a local primatologist, observing them in their natural habitat and respecting their individual space. Brian Gomila, a qualified primatologist will be directing the tour and providing a wealth of information about the animals’ social organisation, hierarchy, natural feeding habits and general behaviour. Dress code: Comfortable clothing & shoes Facebook page: Monkey Talk - Gibraltar

OPTION 2: GORHAM’S CAVE TOUR

“THE HUMANS WHO WENT EXTINCT: GIBRALTAR & THE NEANDERTHALS” Presentation and Boat Tour from Marina Bay Hosted by Professor Clive Finlayson & Geraldine Finlayson of the Gibraltar Museum Itinerary: 09.00-09.30: Presentation and Talk at the Caleta Hotel by Professor Clive Finlayson & Geraldine Finlayson.

09.30: Guests make their way to the marina and board boat.

09.45-12.15: Boat sets sail to Gorham’s Cave: 2-2.5 hour tour.

Notes: In the event of poor conditions the tour will remain within the bay and lead up to Parson’s Lodge. In the event of very poor conditions where excursion by sea is not possible then guests will be taken to the Gibraltar Museum and the viewing platform.

Facebook Page: Gorham’s Cave (Gibraltar) – The Neanderthal Story Further information on Gorham’s Cave can be found here www.visitgibraltar.gi/gorhams-cave Please note times Subject to confirmation.

OPTION 3: ROCK TOUR

The most popular shore excursion, the Rock Tour takes guests on a panoramic drive around the ‘Rock’, covering both the city are and the east side, home to its sandy beaches and coastline. The tour also takes the visitor to famous Gibraltar landmarks and points of interest, such as , 100 Ton Gun, Pillars of , Apes’ Den, and the , these last three located in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve area.

OPTION 4: VISIT TO THE PORT AND CRUISE TERMINAL

You will be given a presentation by the Gibraltar Port Authority at their offices within the Port, followed by a tour of the Cruise Terminal.

The presentation, which should last no more than 20 minutes, will provide you with a very broad idea of what the Gibraltar Port Authority is about, its key role and responsibilities and how important the cruise industry is to Gibraltar as a whole. This will be followed by a short walking tour of the Cruise Terminal where you will be able to see the facilities on offer – no need for walking shoes, the Terminal is just a stone’s throw away from the Port Authority offices.

Please discuss these tour options with the hospitality desk at The Caleta Hotel during the General Assembly. GETTING TO GIBRALTAR, ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & PRACTICAL INFORMATION

VISA REQUIREMENTS A full valid passport or EU identity card is required in the case of EU nationals. Other passport holders may need a visa to enter Gibraltar. Further information is available on Borders and Coastguard Agency Website, www.gibraltarborder.gi

Nationals of , the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, India or Russia who are holders of multiple entry Schengen visas with a minimum remaining validity of 7 days on the date of departure, can apply for a visa waiver for a maximum period of 21 days. Please download and fill in the required form from www.gibraltarborder.gi/visa and present it together with your passport and Schengen visa to one of the officers on arrival at Gibraltar.

BY AIR Regular flights are operated from the UK and Morocco to Gibraltar. Flight time from the UK is on average 2 hours 45 minutes. For further information on destinations and airlines serving Gibraltar please visit Gibraltar International Airport’s website on www.gibraltarairport.gi

Gibraltar is also accessible by those wishing to travel to either Malaga or Jerez Airports, both approximately one hour and 30 minutes away by road.

BY LAND The land frontier between Gibraltar and Spain is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week both for vehicles and pedestrians. There is no limit on the number of crossings you can make.

TRAVELLING AROUND GIBRALTAR Local bus services and taxis operate throughout Gibraltar. The town centre is also easy to get by on foot. For local bus service information visit the Gibraltar Bus Company website gibraltarbuscompany.gi. For information on the local taxi service visit www.gibtaxi.com

LANGUAGES The official language is English although Spanish is widely spoken.

TELEPHONES Gibraltar’s international dialling code is +350.

CURRENCY The legal tender in Gibraltar is HM Government of Gibraltar notes and coinage, although Sterling is equally welcome. There is a full range of international and UK banks. Credit cards, travellers cheques and Euros are widely accepted.

ACCESSIBILITY Gibraltar has made great strides in the past four years in introducing measures and specialised equipment to make beaches and tourist attractions more accessible and this is being recognised as such by specialist tour operators. HM Government of Gibraltar prioritises accessibility measures and is keen to develop the Rock as an accessible destination. Some hotels have accessibly equipped rooms.

Iconic visitor attractions like St Michael’s Cave have recently been refurbished to ensure accessibility. There are also adapted public toilets at several locations including those for use with radar keys.

Further information can be obtained at www.visitgibraltar.gi GETTING TO GIBRALTAR, ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & PRACTICAL INFORMATION

LOCATION Gibraltar is situated at the southern end of the . It is recognised historically as one of the southernmost points of Europe. It is also strategically positioned at the western end of the Mediterranean, forming one of the ancient . The surrounding countries are Spain to the north and Morocco (North Africa) to the south, on the opposite side of the Strait, 24 kilometres (15 miles) away.

HISTORY Gibraltar is steeped in history; an intertwining of civilisations and cultures which dates back many thousands of years. What’s more, it is a living history reflected, not just in the themselves, but also in the many legacies that remain to this day, including a number of prehistoric caves and a Moorish Castle and baths that date back to the 11th and 14th century. The architecture is similarly eclectic with many Georgian and Victorian buildings, as well as those that reflect a Portuguese, Genoese or Moorish influence. In 1848 an ancient skull was discovered in Forbes’ Quarry, at the foot of the steep north face. Then, just eight years later, an identical skull was discovered, this time in the Neander Valley near Dusseldorf. ‘Neanderthal Man’ should really have been ‘Gibraltar Woman’! Ancient mariners first arrived here by the 8th / 9th century BC (some suggest as early as the 4th / 5th century BC), leaving gifts to the gods seeking the blessings of the almighty before sailing into the Atlantic and the unknown. The Romans called the Rock ‘Calpe’. Julius Caesar defeated the sons of Pompeii almost within sight of Calpe, and the first description of Gibraltar was written by the Roman geographer Pomponius Mela around 45 AD. The Muslim invasion of Europe started in the where dissident Visigoths sided with Muslims by lending their ships to Berber Chief, Tarik Ibn Zeyad who landed by Tarik’s mountain – ‘Jebel Tarik’ – and became immortalised in history. The conquest of by Muslims had begun.

Gibraltar continued under Moorish domination for over seven centuries, until taken by Christians from the Kingdom of Castille for a brief period of 24 years in the early 14th century. It was not until 1462 that the Christians finally re-captured the Rock. Spain was beginning to emerge as a unified nation of various Kingdoms and Dukedoms but it was Castille and Aragon that emerged as the central power in Iberia. The famous Spanish ‘Catholic Monarchs’ Isabel and Fernando were initially involved in finally securing the Rock as Crown Property of Castille in 1501. It remained in Spanish possession until 1704 when it fell to a combined Anglo-Dutch force. The Treaty of Utrecht ceded the Rock to the ‘Crown of ’ in perpetuity, but Gibraltar continued to be subjected to bloody conflicts from Spain. In 1779 Spain and France began the longest and bloodiest siege in Gibraltar’s history: ‘The Great Siege, 1779- 1783’. In 1782 work began on the famous ‘Great Siege Tunnels’. The Treaty of Versailles, 1783, would bring a long overdue peace to Gibraltar. The Battle of Trafalgar was fought close to the Rock in 1805. Spain had sided with Napoleon against Britain until Napoleon overrun Spain resulting in a fresh Spanish attempt to break away from French domination. Britain immediately emerged as Spain’s greatest ally. The 19th century was Gibraltar’s heyday, as a staging port on the vital route to India. Another series of tunnels were completed during the Second World War. Gibraltar became home to the ’s ‘Force H’ and the focal point from where Eisenhower controlled the North Africa landings in 1942. During the Franco era, Spain attempted to revive her claim for the reversion of the Rock to Spanish sovereignty, which culminated in the closure of the border for thirteen years in 1969. The roots of Gibraltar have grown deep into the Rock for millions of years. The natural history, the culture and finally, the people themselves - the Gibraltarians - are the result: the ultimate proof that the history of the Rock lives on.

CLIMATE AND TEMPERATURE Gibraltar has an average of 300 days of sunshine a year with temperatures rising well above 30°C in the summer and lows of approximately 12°C in the winter. thMEDCRUISE GENERAL ASSEMBLY GIBRALTAR 14 - 17 June 2017

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