The Port of Malaga aims to continue increasing its cruise traffic figures in the coming years. Specifically, it plans to receive 300 passenger ships in 2017 and to significantly increase its homeport operations.
This was explained by the president of the Port Authority, Paulino Plata, who mentioned the 26 operations carried out by the Thomson shipping company from May to October, and the 19 by Pullmantur currently. "This year they will represent 20 percent of the total," he stated.
In 2016, the port of Malaga expects to close the year with just over 450,000 cruise passengers and 254 ships docked at its facilities. In an interview with Europa Press, the port's director expressed confidence that traffic will increase even further in 2017.
“We have made a remarkable leap in operations as a home port,” he said, adding that 2017 is practically closed and work is now underway on the second half of 2018, with very good forecasts also for Malaga, mainly in home port operations, which means that cruise passengers stay overnight in the city before or after their boat trip.
According to Plata, although it's "premature" and we have to wait, the cruise industry "is constantly growing, even during the economic crisis." He also explained that the emergence of the Asian market has led some companies to relocate their ships there; however, there are currently "more than 50 ships in shipyards, and new, large vessels are launched and put into service every year."
