Interview with Javier Félez
Director of Grimaldi Lines and GTOE in Spain
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Javier Félez
Director of Grimaldi Lines and GTOE in Spain
Javier Félez studied Architecture at the Madrid School of Architecture (ETSAM), although circumstances eventually led him to pursue a career in the travel agency sector. He soon became Commercial Director of a tour operator specialising in Spain’s mainland coastal destinations and, ten years later, co-founded a tour operator with several partners, introducing an innovative approach to working with travel agencies and suppliers.
In 2007, he joined Grimaldi Lines in Spain as Deputy Passenger Director, with a particular focus on commercial activities. For the past three years, he has headed the Passenger Division of Grimaldi Lines Spain and Grimaldi Tour Operator Spain, with responsibility for marketing, commercial operations and passenger services.
Given your responsibility for the commercial, marketing and passenger divisions of Grimaldi Lines in Spain, how would you define the role of maritime transport in tourism and its ability to connect destinations, cultures and people?
Maritime transport to and from our islands is already well established, but internationally there is still considerable scope to raise awareness. Some travellers do not even consider travelling by sea because they are unfamiliar with how it works or what it has to offer. Our role is precisely to bring this way of travelling closer to them, highlight its advantages and show that it can be a genuine alternative to other modes of transport.
The journey begins long before reaching the destination. How do you ensure that the sea crossing becomes part of the holiday experience and is perceived by travellers as a time for enjoyment, relaxation and discovery?
We achieve this by continually improving our ships’ facilities and services so that every passenger can enjoy the crossing in their own way. During the summer, we offer swimming pools, as well as a nightclub, children’s play areas, lounges with live music, a gym, wellness centre, bars and restaurants, together with air-conditioned cabins equipped with private bathrooms.
Passengers also have the convenience of travelling with their own car or motorcycle and taking the luggage they need. The idea is for the ship to be more than simply a means of reaching a destination; we want it to become another day of the holiday itself. The journey begins on board.
Hospitality begins from the very first interaction with the traveller. How important are the welcome, guidance during boarding and personalised assistance in ensuring that every passenger feels supported and genuinely well received?
We aim to make everything as straightforward as possible from the moment passengers arrive at the terminal. The check-in process is quick and efficient, and passengers receive their boarding cards there. These also serve as cabin keys and include the services they have booked.
Once on board, our services operate over extended hours. The central bar, for example, is open 24 hours a day. This gives passengers the freedom to organise their time as they wish and enjoy the journey at their own pace.
Passengers of different nationalities, ages and expectations share the experience on board. How do you prepare your teams to respond to this cultural diversity and provide a warm welcome that addresses both practical needs and individual sensitivities?
Most of our staff are able to assist passengers in Italian, Spanish and English, which is particularly important when travellers of different nationalities are sharing the same journey. In addition, the reception desk is the main point of contact for any questions regarding the crossing or the services available on board.
We want passengers to know exactly where to turn whenever they need information and to be able to communicate easily and confidently throughout their journey.
Families, couples, groups and independent travellers all look for different experiences. How do you adapt your accommodation, dining and entertainment services to these different profiles while maintaining a consistent approach to hospitality and high-quality service throughout the crossing?
Our ferries welcome a diverse mix of passengers, including solo travellers, families, couples, groups and professional drivers. The vessels are designed to accommodate large numbers of passengers; at certain times of the year, we may have around 2,500 people on board.
The variety of spaces and services available helps us manage this diversity effectively. We have three restaurants and two bars serving sandwiches and light meals. Italian and Spanish passengers also tend to dine at different times, which naturally helps to spread demand and avoid large concentrations of people in the same place at once.
In addition, facilities such as the nightclub, the 1,000-square-metre Smaila’s lounge, the pool deck with its snack bar, and the conference room allow activities to be distributed throughout the ship. So even when we are carrying a large number of passengers, the experience does not necessarily feel crowded.
Maritime connections can influence travellers’ choice of destination and help distribute visitor flows. What opportunities do you see for working with tourism authorities, hotels and operators to develop initiatives that encourage longer and more rewarding stays?
They can certainly have an influence. Our proposition is very different from a quick one- or two-day city break. Travelling by ferry naturally encourages people to take a little more time and enjoy the destination at a more relaxed pace.
At Grimaldi Tour Operator Spain, we have been offering travellers the option of booking complete ferry-and-accommodation packages for many years, with a choice of both hotels and apartments at very competitive prices. It is a way of making it easier to organise a more complete and enjoyable holiday — or, as I like to say, one that is simply more about enjoying the experience to the fullest.
For many tourists, travelling with their own vehicle provides greater freedom and independence when exploring a destination. How do you incorporate this option into your commercial proposition, and what opportunities does it offer for discovering different areas, engaging with local communities and diversifying itineraries?
Travelling with your own vehicle is one of our key advantages and one of the aspects we emphasise most strongly in our commercial proposition. Taking your car or motorcycle gives you the freedom to explore the destination and decide how you want to organise your stay.
This is complemented by the flexibility of our sailing schedules. On the Civitavecchia route, we operate services in both directions every day except Sundays, allowing passengers to choose when they want to travel and when they want to return, with no minimum or maximum length of stay.
For us, this independence is a fundamental part of the travel experience we offer, enabling passengers to explore destinations more freely and at a more relaxed pace.
Accessibility is essential to ensuring that everyone can enjoy the journey with dignity and independence. How do you address the needs of passengers with disabilities, reduced mobility or other specific requirements during booking, boarding and their time on board?
All our vessels have accessible cabins and facilities designed to accommodate passengers with reduced mobility. They also incorporate measures to facilitate movement throughout the different areas on board, enabling passengers to enjoy the crossing with the greatest possible degree of independence and comfort.
Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in travellers’ decisions. How do you translate this commitment into the passenger experience, and what challenges do you face in balancing operational efficiency, protection of the marine environment and service quality?
Grimaldi is a pioneer in sustainable maritime transport, and that commitment must translate into tangible improvements. One example is the lithium battery systems installed on the Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona, which can power the vessels’ onboard services while they are in port without using diesel generators, thereby avoiding the direct emissions associated with their operation. This is complemented by exhaust gas cleaning systems designed to reduce particulate emissions while at sea.
For passengers, many of these improvements may not be immediately visible, but they form an important part of the experience we provide. Travellers can continue to enjoy the full range of onboard services while the vessel reduces its environmental impact during port calls.
The challenge is to continue moving in this direction without compromising the comfort, service and reliability our passengers expect. Achieving this requires investment, innovation and close coordination between vessels and port infrastructure. It is not a transformation that happens overnight, but rather an ongoing process. For us, protecting the marine environment and delivering a high-quality passenger experience must go hand in hand.
Digitalisation makes booking and communication easier, but hospitality also depends on human interaction. How do you balance these two dimensions, and how do you use passenger feedback to improve service, resolve issues and strengthen trust?
Bookings can be made either through our website or via travel agencies, allowing each passenger to choose whichever option is most convenient for them.
Following each crossing, we collect feedback from a sample of passengers to learn more about their experience and hear their suggestions. This information helps us identify areas for improvement and take action wherever it is within our ability to do so.
Looking ahead to the coming years, what vision would you like to consolidate for Grimaldi Lines and GTOE Spain within the tourism sector, and what role will hospitality play in differentiating your offering and building lasting relationships with travellers?
We want to reach more travellers in Spain because, as I mentioned earlier, this way of travelling is still not sufficiently well known. Spanish travellers are very familiar with our own coastline and islands, but they do not always consider travelling to Sardinia, Rome or Tuscany by ferry with their own car. That is why we need to continue raising awareness of this option and encouraging people to discover its possibilities.
Sometimes we think we know a country simply because we have spent two days in its capital. We say, “I’ve been to Italy” after visiting Rome, or “I know France” because we have crossed the Pyrenees, when in reality there is still so much more to discover.
Travelling by sea to Sardinia or mainland Italy opens up different possibilities: it allows people to explore destinations more extensively, devote more time to them and experience them in a different way. With every respect for air travel, what we want to demonstrate is that there is another way to reach a destination — and another way to experience the journey itself.
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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