The Port of Tarragona ends its best-ever cruise season with nearly 100,000 passengers

The cruise ship passengers have generated an economic impact of 7.3 million euros in the region

The Port of Tarragona has surpassed all expectations and finalised the 2018 cruise season with its best-ever figures: 98,126 cruise passengers, an increase of 91% over the last season. In terms of the number of cruises, this year the Port of Tarragona has received a total of 57 vessels, an increase of 54% over the previous season.

Of the almost 100,000 cruise passengers arriving in the Port of Tarragona, according to the type of operation, 78% were in transit, while the other 22% were embarking and disembarking passengers.

The economic impact generated in the territory by these cruise passengers has been calculated to be 7.3 million euros, an 85.21% increase over last season.

93% of the cruise passengers choose to visit the area. During the press conference, the results of the studies undertaken by the Tourism and Leisure Scientific and Technological Department of the Rovira i Virgili Universidad were presented. They included such significant data as the satisfaction ratings given by the passengers of their contracted excursions, with an overall rating of 8.2. To the question as to whether they would recommend our destination, 91.3% said they would, thus meeting the expectations of the destination.

If we look at the profile of the passengers, it is a family profile, with an increase in cruise passengers aged between 45 and 64, who account for almost 52% of the total. By nationalities, thanks to the commitment of Costa Cruises to the Port of Tarragona, much of the increase is in Italian and Spanish nationals, which are up 67.09% and 68.65% respectively, as well as in passengers from the United Kingdom, thanks to the stopovers by Marella Cruises, with a growth of 177.96%.

Analysing visitor expenditure, we see that 96.4% of the passengers spent something in the area. In order of importance, the expenditure is on transport, bars and cafeterias, diverse purchases, restaurants and cultural facilities.

Finally, a study of the mobility of the cruise passengers in Tarragona shows that the most visited places were the Amphitheatre, the Rambla Nova, the Rambla Vella, the Cathedral and the Historical Quarter, the Plaça de la Font, the Roman Circus, the Balcony over the Mediterranean, the Central Market, the Serrallo fishing quarter and a trip on the tourist mini-train.

Forecast for the 2019 season

The Port of Tarragona expects to continue growing as a cruise destination and the forecast for 2019 is for 65 cruises (14% more than in 2018) and 110,000 passengers, an increase of 12%.

For the coming season, we can highlight the continuing commitment to Tarragona of Costa Cruises, which will bring a new, larger liner −the Costa Fortuna− with a capacity of 3,470 passengers, in addition to the continuing calls of the Costa Neoriviera, with a capacity of 1,730 passengers.

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