The Port of Malaga expects to close the current year with a very positive result for cruise traffic: some 500,000 passengers will visit the capital on board 298 ships, which will represent an increase of 12.5% and 18.2%, respectively, in relation to the previous year.
Furthermore, the Port of Malaga will see an increase in passenger traffic, which will represent 28.3% of the total, compared to 21% last year. The commitment of companies like Thomson Cruises and Pullmantur, as well as the decision by exclusive cruise lines to include our destination in their itineraries, has been a significant boost for the development of this sector, allowing us to overcome the seasonality typical of the autumn and spring seasons.
The forecast for these results can be seen in the data on the evolution of cruise traffic up to August and the forecast for the last four months of 2017, which were analyzed today at a press conference by the president of the Port Authority, Paulino Plata.
January-August 2017:
The Port of Malaga handled 290,086 passengers across 167 cruise calls, representing increases of 17.4% and 21%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. These figures position Malaga as the fastest-growing cruise port in terms of percentage increase among Spain's main cruise ports.
Choosing Malaga as a home port has allowed a considerable increase in the number of cruise passengers during the months of April and May (spring season), with August also being particularly noteworthy (52,009 passengers in August 2017 compared to 37,420 in 2016), thus improving the seasonality mentioned above.
Forecast for the last quarter of 2017:
The port area expects to receive 131 calls between September and December 2017, an increase of 18.4% compared to the same period of the previous year.
According to data provided by Paulino Plata, October is the busiest month, not only of the four-month period, but also of the year, reaching a total of 85,340 passengers.
Also noteworthy is the week of October 30 to November 5, during which five cruise ships will be in port on three different days: October 31, November 3, and November 5. Approximately 20,000 passengers are expected to arrive at the port that week.
Forecast 2018
Malaga will end 2017 with a further increase in cruise activity, consolidating the trajectory of continued growth in this area that has been maintained since 2013.
Although it is still too early to make a forecast, the Port of Malaga expects to consolidate cruise traffic during the coming year. Currently, 296 port calls, though this number may fluctuate in the coming months.
