Cruise passenger traffic through Spanish ports has once again set a new all-time record in the first six months of the year. A total of 3,621,857 cruise passengers passed through all the ports of general interest, a figure that has practically doubled in a decade the 1.8 million recorded in 2007. Mediterranean ports accounted for 63.7%, with 2.3 million passengers, of the total cruise passengers who visited a Spanish port. Barcelona stands out, having exceeded one million passengers during this period for years, confirming its position as the leading European destination and fourth in the world as a homeport. It is followed by the Balearic Islands ports with 754,616 cruise passengers, Malaga with 201,904, and Valencia with 148,964. The average growth of Mediterranean ports was 6.43%, although some facilities such as Tarragona (+557.8%), Almería (+119.9%) or Cartagena (+42.7%) have experienced notable increases.
The ports of the Iberian Peninsula's Atlantic coast and the Cantabrian coast continue to progress, although with slower growth rates. In fact, the average increase was 4.7%, reaching 355,400 passengers, which represents 9.8% of the national total. The ports of the Bay of Cádiz stood out with 137,872 cruise passengers, followed by A Coruña with 74,762, Vigo with 71,028, and Bilbao with 37,729.
Finally, the Canary Islands ports, which represent 26.5% of the national total with 960,848 passengers, have experienced an average decline of 8.85%, due to the strong impact of seasonality which causes the months with the greatest "pull" to be concentrated in winter.
Port authorities forecast a new all-time high of 8.8 million passengers for the end of 2017, and project over 9.5 million cruise passengers by 2020. According to the latest data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA Europe), Spain remains the second European country receiving the most passengers and also ranks second as a country of embarkation, with 1.28 million passengers. Furthermore, the Spanish cruise market is regaining popularity and, after a few years of decline, since 2014 the 4% growth rate has allowed the number of Spaniards who chose cruises as a form of tourism to increase from 454,000 to 486,000 in 2016. This figure positions us as the fifth country in Europe in terms of cruise passenger numbers, far behind Germany and the United Kingdom-Ireland, which lead the ranking with 2 and 1.88 million people, respectively, and approaching neighboring countries such as Italy (751,000) and France (574,000).
With over €1.3 billion in direct economic contribution, Spain remains the fourth largest European market benefiting from the cruise sector. The cruise industry also generated a total of 28,600 jobs in Spain. The Port of Barcelona, the leading port in Europe and fourth in the world, with 2.68 million passengers in 2016, is followed by the Balearic Islands ports, which have achieved third place in Europe with over 1.9 million passengers. The ports of Las Palmas occupy seventh place in Europe with 1.1 million passengers, and the ports of Santa Cruz de Tenerife are tenth with over 884,000.
- “BLUE CARPET” UNFOLDED IN HAMBURG
Nearly 30 companies, including Port Authorities and service and product suppliers, will gather at the “Ports of Spain” stand at the Seatrade Europe Hamburg trade fair, which will be held from September 6 to 8 in Hamburg, Germany. With a well-established image and messaging, and under the slogan “Blue Carpet: Step into Spain through world-class ports,” Puertos del Estado (State Ports Authority) is hosting the Port Authorities of A Coruña, Alicante, Avilés, Bay of Cádiz, Balearic Islands, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Castellón, Ceuta, Ferrol, Gijón, Huelva, Málaga, Motril, Pasaia, Santander, Seville, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo, and Vilagarcía de Arousa at its stand, in addition to Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which are integrated into a specific area called “Cruises Atlantic Islands.”.
Also participating are renowned companies, including Bergé, which managed the agency for over 700 cruises with more than 1 million passengers; Pérez y Cía, a shipping agency with extensive experience and a strong presence in the maritime and port sector; and the Spanish Tourism Office in Berlin. Likewise, suppliers such as Cavas Llopart, Enate, Caprichodiario, Mar7, San Miguel, and Solán de Cabras will be present with their products. Their main objective, in addition to supporting the Spanish food product offering in the German market, is to establish themselves as suppliers in the exclusive cruise industry.
