The APB bids farewell to Island Escape after fourteen years of visiting Palma
Cruise tourism in the Balearic Islands generates an estimated €289.66 million in revenue annually, including direct, indirect and induced income, contributing €146.46 million in Gross Value Added to the Islands' economy and generating 2,879 jobs, of which 1,867 would be direct jobs.
These are data from 2011 (updated with GDP data from December 2013) collected in a study directed by the Department of Economy and Business of the Confederation of Business Associations of the Balearic Islands (CAEB) in collaboration with the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and which highlights the important contribution of ports to the development of cities and to the creation of economic activity and employment.
In 2011, the volume of cruise passengers was 1.6 million. It is estimated that with an average stay of 1.49 days per tourist, this generates an annual direct expenditure of €180.33 million, representing an average annual expenditure per passenger of €112.09. In Mallorca, the average expenditure is higher than in the other islands, as a third of cruises depart from and/or arrive in Mallorca.
By sector, the majority of cruise tourist spending goes to shops: €99.60 million, or 55.3%. The remaining spending is distributed among travel agencies, bars and restaurants, road transport, and accommodation for additional stays.
In October, Palma alone will have received over 90 cruise ships carrying 240,000 passengers. A similar number is expected during the upcoming low season – between November and March – which is slightly higher than the figure recorded during the same period last year.
Farewell in Palma for the Island Escape cruise
Palma bid farewell today to the MS Island Escape cruise ship, operated by Island Cruises. With 427 visits, it is the second most frequent cruise ship to call at the port of Palma since its first stop on March 19, 2002. Today marked its final stop in the Mallorcan port before likely being scrapped.
The president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), Joan Gual de Torrella, paid tribute to the cruise ship and its crew, presenting them today with a photograph of the Island Escape with Bellver Castle in the background. Gual expressed the APB's gratitude to "a true symbol of loyalty to the Port of Palma, which has made an extraordinary contribution to consolidating the Balearic Islands as one of the world's leading cruise destinations and combating the seasonality of tourism in the Balearic Islands.".
