Promotion of trade

2021 commercial promotion initiatives (I_30)

The three main objectives for the sustainability of the Port of Huelva’s global traffic are:

1. Maintaining and consolidating the traditional liquid and solid bulk traffic.
2. Attracting new roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro/ro-pax) and container general freight, along with breakbulk and project cargo traffic, and without forgetting tourist cruise ships, supplies and mega-yacht tourism, etc.
3. The development of the Logistic Activities Zone (SAL), Cold Logistics Hub, and of the Majarabique and South Wharf railway terminals.

This was all underpinned by a development strategy based on railway connectivity and being customer oriented as added value and differential elements. The commercial management focused towards the customer and/or user of the Port continued with the available media when in-person meetings were not possible. Telephone calls, video conferences and webinars have been some of the tools used. In 2021, some events were postponed or cancelled, companies restricted in-person meetings, visits to facilities or travelling for its employees.

Attracting new activities that require a territorial base and generate import/export maritime traffic is common to all the aforementioned goals. Having customs and border inspection services whose organisation, size and flexibility are in keeping with the evolution of the traffic and the needs of the market is essential to ensure those achievements.

From the point of view of commercial management and promotion, 2021, in the same way as 2020, was seriously impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic as circumstances meant it was possible to attend in-person events and fairs, promotion symposiums and events, in-person meetings with several people. All the commercial promotion and management was conducted using the available tools, such as by phone, email and video conferences. During the year, 156 commercial procedures including calls, video conferences, attending webinars, were conducted to ensure the visibility of the Port of Huelva abroad and contribute to its promotion despite the constraints on mobility. 

The Commercial Plan is as an integrated guide in the port business plan. From that perspective, different market surveys and assessments were carried out in order to design a brand positioning, segment and select the possible new markets and customers, and define the commercial strategies and specific action with which to achieve the targets envisaged and set in the plans.

On the other hand, and in terms of the customs and border inspection services, 2 sessions of the Customs and Border Inspection Forum were held in 2021, on 3 March and 2 June. The Forum is made up of representatives from terminals, Agriculture & Fisheries, Animal Health, Exterior and Customs and it is where the matters and incidents of greatest concern for the port operations and the authorities in charge of inspections, in order to search for the best solutions through coordination and consensus between the institutions and companies that generate the activity and wealth around the port.

Special mention should be made of the following events attended in person in 2021: Fruit Logistica Berlin, XIX National Meeting of Cereal Operators (ENOC), International Soft Fruit Congress, I International Industry Forum, Fruit Attraction 2021, Conxemar 2021, Madrid LNG and Shipping Forum, etc.

Furthermore, the Department of Commercial and Business Development organised three technical symposiums in 2021:

• Agrifood Logistics Symposium: whose main aim was to foster the creation of synergies with logistics operators and exporters of the agri-food sector, in order to drive growth of the sector and increase their exports from the Port of Huelva, thus complementing other means of transport already used to market horticultural products. The symposium had two panels on supply and demand when different challenges and expectations were considered for the sector and for the Port of Huelva.
• Short Sea Shipping Symposium: "Port of Huelva. Present and Future of Short Sea Shipping in the South of the Atlantic Corridor": where, in conjunction with the Association of the Short Sea Shipping Tranche", the consolidation of the positioning of the Port of Huelva in short sea shipping was highlighted and where the presence of representatives of land transport and shipping companies was the opportunity  to showcase the Route 1400 Huelva-Canary Island, a brand that was set up to promote the connectivity of the Port of Huelva with the Canary Islands as a key features of the European Atlantic Corridor.
• Railway Technical Meeting: where the Port of Huelva presented its rail strategy to logistics and transport operators and companies in order to be positioned on the market of an intermodal platform of Europe's southern Atlantic. The leading Spanish railway companies and the companies of the Huelva port community with the largest land freight traffic took part in the meeting. The Port of Huelva intermodal strategy was presented during the symposium. The strategy is focused on providing infrastructures with excellent connectivity with other logistic hubs of mainland Spain and Portugal and the Canary Islands, as part of the European Atlantic Corridor, with the capacity to meet the demand for traffic, required by the logistic chains, and to offer flexibility to be able to adapt the whole offer to the changing demands of a global market.

Passenger traffic: tourist cruise ships

Huelva Port Authority along with HuelvaPort continued with its commercial action plan for the cruise section in the new scenario as the result of the pandemic, in order for the Port of Huelva to be included as a port of call and thus contribute to the city's tourist and economic development.

The new strategy adopted by the APH Commercial Department is aimed at attracting small cruise ships and megayachts whose fleet is compatible with the characteristics and conditions in terms of draught and length (currently a maximum of 6 m and 200 m, respectively) of the Levante Wharf. Thus, the increase in regular commercial sea shipping (mainly ro-ro and container general freight) at the South Wharf can be handled without any greater difficulties.

Furthermore, the project to remodel and fit out the wharf in question, which envisages a new cruise terminal and a marina with different leisure areas, has helped to foster the Levante Wharf as the main berthing for cruise ships and mega-yachts, in order to attract and consolidate possible shipping lines/business and boost Huelva and its province as a tourist destination. This will achieve greater Port-City integration making it possible for cruise passengers to walk into the city.

A total of 5 vessels, with 584 passengers overall, called in at the Levante Wharf. All those stopovers were by the Croisi Europe shipping company with La Belle de Cadix, which is consolidating the Port of Huelva as a destination on its routes.

As regards attendance at the sector's events, in May 2021, the Port of Huelva and HuelvaPort attended in person FITUR in Madrid, where the presentation took place of the Marine project. They were also at CITCA Suncruise in Malaga in October and took part on the Digitalisation of the Cruise Experience panel.

Furthermore, the Port of Huelva and HuelvaPort were present at different virtual meetings, including Seatrade Cruise Virtual, CLIA Port and Destination Virtual Exchange, and the participation in the Citca Suncruise webinar focused on the Port of Huelva strategy in the field of cruise ships and the port-city integration as value for the cruise passenger. Other virtual meetings included the 59th MedCruise General Meeting, when meetings could be held with representatives of the main cruise companies, such as Swan Hellenic, Crystal Cruises and Mystic Cruises.

In November, the Port of Huelva welcomed the Suncruise shipping company during a fam trip organised in conjunction with Sancruise and the Tourism Board.

Expenditure on the commercial promotion of the port (I_31)

Port of Huelva’s 2021 Commercial Costs	168,278.41€
Port of Huelva’s 2021 Operating Costs	42,820,246€
Percentage in relation to operating costs	0.39%