Saturday, October 15, 2022 - 16:32 by ce-press
The Baltic Sea region has undergone an unusual season this year, given the challenges presented by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and hence St Petersburg being taken off itineraries.
Annika Schulman, assistant executive Port of Turku, says: “We have been extremely lucky to be one of the ports that have gained calls in these challenging [and tragic] circumstances, ending up having a record year of cruise calls: 21 calls and 15,711 passengers.
“This has been well noted also by the local media and entrepreneurs, who have welcomed this positive development in our tourism industry.”
In collaboration with the City of Turku, the port has shown that it can handle several calls in a row and sometimes two cruiseships at a time. “The feedback we have received has been really warming and it has been very interesting to work with all these beautiful cruiseships and their different requests and requirements,” says Schulman.
Visit Turku has also been very active, providing the passengers with non-stop complimentary shuttle buses to and from the city centre, as well as
tourist information and maps that are handed out on the pier.
Schulman comments: “Due to this successful season, we have decided to offer local entertainment on the pier during the coming season as well, such as music, dancing or other local cultural acts, as we have seen that it is very much appreciated by the cruise passengers.”
