Record-breaking cruise numbers

• 23 January, 24

Cruise activity in Lisbon was the best ever in 2023, exceeding 700,000 passengers for the first time, 54% more than in the previous year, the Port of Lisbon announced.

The previous record dated from 2018, a year that registered 577,603 cruise passengers.

The ‘turnaround’ segment, cruises that embark and/or disembark at the Lisbon cruise terminal, was the one that stood out the most, with exponential growth, totaling 204,004 passengers (102,680 embarked and 101,324 disembarked), an increase of 131% compared to the previous year.

The number of passengers in transit reached 554,324, a growth of 37% compared to 2022, highlighted the Port of Lisbon.

In the accounts of the Port of Lisbon, cruise activity had a direct economic impact on the city of more than 83 million euros, considering the 102,680 passengers who boarded and the 554,324 who were in transit in Lisbon, since a passenger on board spends, in average, 367 euros and a passenger in transit 82 euros, according to an economic impact study promoted by the Administration of the Port of Lisbon (carried out by Netsonda and Nova SBE).

347 stopovers were made in the Port of Lisbon, 20 more than in 2022, and turnaround calls also registered a new record (107), “exceeding the absolute maximum of 103 stopovers recorded in the same period last year”.

Passenger origins

In relation to the origin of passengers, the United Kingdom, with 38% (286,305), is in first place, followed by the United States, which registered a growth of 116% compared to 2022 and now holds a 20% share of passengers from cruises (149,233).

Passengers originating in Germany, with 15% of cruise passengers (despite growth of 14% compared to the previous year), are in third place and those originating in Canada, with 34,085 passengers (+172%) and with a market share of 4%, in fourth.

Cre: Portugalnews