A Coruña, January 16, 2018. ThePort of A Coruña has just closed a record-breaking year for cruise traffic. A total of 184,069 passengers disembarked in the city last year. This figure exceeds the initial forecasts by nearly 15,000 cruise passengers, highlighting the current boom in this sector. Among the 120 port calls , six were first-time visits to the port of A Coruña, demonstrating the growing interest of cruise lines in this Atlantic destination. Additionally, there were 22 days with two or more ships in port simultaneously, confirming the Port of A Coruña's capacity to handle large passenger flows.
These results, representing a 45% increase compared to 2016, reflect the fruits of nearly a decade's work focused on promoting a sector with great potential to contribute to wealth creation by reducing the seasonality of tourism. This benefits the city's overall image and, specifically, the hospitality, retail, and other sectors linked to passenger and ship services. It is estimated that the economic return generated by the average expenditure of the 250,000 travelers registered last year, including both passengers and crew, amounts to €15 million.
The proximity of A Coruña's docks to the city center, connected by a wide pedestrian area, and the magnificent renovation of the Marina and the Parrote, as well as the quality of service, the scenic attractions, and the gastronomy, have been the aspects most valued by cruise passengers. Recent surveys indicate that over 80% give A Coruña a high rating and would recommend it as a cruise port of call. Proof of this is that over 85% choose to stay and explore the city rather than booking excursions or trips to nearby destinations.
The consolidation of traffic had already placed A Coruña at the forefront of ports along the Cantabrian-Atlantic coast in terms of the number of port calls. Thanks to the remarkable increase recorded in 2017, this leadership extends to passenger numbers as well. A Coruña tops the statistics for the coastal strip stretching from Le Havre to Lisbon, surpassing ports with a long tradition in the sector. Forecasts for the current year focus on maintaining the leading level achieved in 2017.
Major shipping companies once again placed their trust in the Port of A Coruña during 2017, in which six ships from prominent companies called at the city for the first time:<Seven Seas Explorer> ,<Magellan> ,<Celebrity Silhouette> ,<MSC Fantasia> ,<MSC Preziosa> and<Aida Prima> Furthermore, the Silversea Cruises shipping company chose A Coruña as a stop for the inaugural voyage of its new cruise ship, the<Silver Muse> Among the companies with the largest presence was the Carnival Group, the industry leader, which, with its two cruise lines, P&O Cruises and Cunard, accounted for a total of 26 port calls. Also noteworthy was the commitment of other leading cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, TUI Cruises, Aida Cruises, Princess, Fred Olsen, C&MV, Viking, Crystal, Saga Cruises, Hurtigruten, Thomson (renamed Marella Cruises this year), and the luxury ships of Ponant, Silversea, Oceania, Holland America Line, Sea Cloud, Regent Seven Seas, and Noble Caledonia. Finally, the beautiful exploration cruises of the Hapag-Lloyd and National Geographic fleets attracted attention.
This significant presence of leading cruise lines resulted in numerous days with double or multiple port calls, especially considering that a large portion of cruise ship traffic was concentrated during the spring and autumn. May and September saw the highest number of port calls, with 25 and 31, respectively. Among the 22 days with more than one ship docking, the quadruple port call on May 3rd and five triple port calls stand out.
