Cruise traffic is expected to increase significantly in Huelva this year.
Forecasts regarding the number of ships arriving at the port, already released at the end of last year, point to around twenty, well above the six projected at that time. However, the Port Authority President, Javier Barrero, was cautious, indicating that "it depends on several factors whether the final figure will be that high; if not 20, then 17 or 18," he said.
The first ship to arrive at the port is the Prinsendam, from Holland America Line, measuring 204 meters in length. It will dock at the South Quay with 843 passengers and 460 crew members.
Barrero took the opportunity to reiterate the need for greater involvement from the city in the cruise industry. “We all have a responsibility, as residents of Huelva, to ensure that Huelva is attractive to cruise passengers and that it becomes a well-established destination, because surveys to gauge passenger satisfaction are commonplace.”
In this regard, and emphasizing the Huelva Port Authority's commitment to tourism, he advocated for collaborative efforts with the Tourism Board, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Huelva City Council “to make it more professional, to support the province, and to maintain, strengthen, and increase the number of cruise ship arrivals,” he stated.
In the data relating to port traffic for the first quarter of the year, Barrero highlighted the increase registered in the ferry passenger traffic to the Canary Islands, of 7.63%, with 5,626 passengers between January and March.
