The Port of Barcelona has presented its 2020 financial results, which, despite the impact of the pandemic, show a positive net profit of €17 million. This is a significant figure despite the drop in revenue due to reduced traffic and the aid provided to businesses to mitigate the effects of Covid-19.
Regarding traffic, it has shown highly uneven performance depending on the type of traffic and the time of year. Passenger traffic has been the most affected by the pandemic at the Port of Barcelona following the ban on passenger traffic on March 13, 2020, and in the case of cruise ships, the ban remains in effect. As a result, the number of passengers fell by 81%, from 4.6 million passengers in 2019 to 858,000 in 2020. In the case of cruise ships, the drop was 94%.
The president of the Barcelona Port Authority, Mercè Conesa, has asked the relevant authorities for “clear protocols to be established so that cruise activity can resume. This is not only because another year without cruises would mean losses of over 11 million euros for the port, but also because it is a very important industry for both Barcelona and Catalonia. And, above all, because this sector employs more than 9,000 people who are currently suffering greatly.”.
The president of the Port of Barcelona also noted that the cruise sector contributes more than 560 million euros annually to Catalonia's GDP and announced that talks have already begun with health authorities to establish the conditions for resuming operations.
