The number of stops also increased compared to 2014.
The Port of the Bay of Cadiz has exceeded 400,000 cruise passengers in a year for the first time, beating its own record achieved in December 2014 with 381,302 cruise passengers.
With four more stops to be counted before the end of 2015, 407,908 passengers have already been reached since January, so it is expected to close the year with just over 411,000 tourists, not counting the crew members of these ships, who add around 150,000 more people.
The number of provisional scales until the final closing of the fiscal year is 289, which represents a growth of 3.5 percent compared to 2014.
The evolution of cruise traffic in the Port of Cadiz has shown a sustained and continuous increase in the last 20 years, with the exception of 2004, 2007 and 2009, when the number of calls decreased but the number of passengers increased compared to the previous years and in 2012, when both figures did decrease.
In 1997, the number of annual stopovers exceeded 100 for the first time (reaching 102), and in 2003, the milestone of 200 was achieved (with 206). Overall, the number of stopovers has increased from 90 in 1994 to 289 in 2015.
Regarding the number of passengers, in 1999 the 100,000 mark was exceeded for the first time (110,682), in 2008 the 200,000 mark was surpassed (224,905) and two years later, in 2010, the number of cruise passengers exceeded 300,000 (336,761).
Following this quantitative evolution, which has occurred in parallel with developments in infrastructure and services for ships and tourists and continued promotion with an active presence in the main forums and fairs of the sector, the Port Authority of the Bay of Cadiz has included in its Strategic Plan the commitment to become a home port for cruise ships.
It's important to remember the socioeconomic impact that cruise traffic has on the surrounding area. According to recent studies, the average expenditure per passenger per day is estimated at around €41.60. In the case of the home port, this figure rises to €80.
