Madeira has won the award for best European cruise destination for the second year running at the World Cruise Awards 2023.
In addition to Madeira, Athens, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Lisbon, London, Monte Carlo, Nice, Oslo and Rome were also nominated.
The 2023 World Cruise Awards gala ceremony took place yesterday at the Atlantis The Royal in Dubai. The red-carpet event brought together cruise industry professionals, media representatives, and customers from around the world.
Over the course of three editions, all the awards have gone to Portugal, since after Lisbon's victory in 2021, Madeira has been awarded in the last two years.
“This distinction is a source of great pride for us and for the region, as it reflects the success of the strategy carried out by the Regional Government of Madeira, through APRAM, SA, rebuilding the confidence of cruise tourists, stimulating demand and keeping the region at the top of the list of favorites for international cruise tourism,” says Rui Barreto, Regional Secretary of Economy, who oversees the ports of Madeira.
“This award will undoubtedly yield very positive results for the future and is certainly an incentive for our teams, a recognition of the work done by all stakeholders in the sector. It is also an award for the people of Madeira who are delighted by the presence of cruise tourism in our region, especially at times like the end of the year, when records for visits and stays are traditionally broken,” he added.
In the 2022-2023 season, Madeira's ports continued to enjoy a high level of traffic, with 557,824 passengers, representing a growth of 104% compared to the same period of the previous year.
From September 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023, the average number of passengers per ship was 1,949, 109% higher than the 931 of the 2021/2022 season. In the same period, there were 286 port calls, eight fewer than in the previous season, which is explained by the return to normality of the sector, now with more ports open and the possibility of venturing on other routes at a time of high demand for cruises.
The World Cruise Awards were presented for the first time in 2021. The competition is considered a “sister” of the World Travel Awards, created in 1993 and considered the “Oscars of tourism”.
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