A more sustainable and more humane port

TarragonaOver the past ten years, the Port of Tarragona has maintained similar traffic figures. In 2015, the port infrastructure recorded 33.2 million tons of cargo – primarily petroleum products, grains, and vehicles – a figure slightly higher than in 2014, when the Port of Tarragona closed the year with 32.33 million tons. During this period, however, the number of cruise passengers disembarking at the port has seen significant growth. The figures speak for themselves: 11,600 cruise passengers arrived in 2015, while in 2014 the number reached 136,850 passengers, with 63 different port calls. Throughout this time, in addition to expanding its infrastructure, the Port of Tarragona has also committed to sustainability and to one of the major challenges facing ports worldwide: integrating these large infrastructures into their urban surroundings. Last week, at the twentieth edition of the World Conference on Cities and Ports, held in New York, the Port's president, Santiago J. Castellà, explained that among the actions to be carried out in the coming years are the protection of biodiversity, a commitment to diverse cultural programming, and collaboration with the country's metropolitan area. "We must view ports from a human and humanistic perspective," said Castellà.