Monday, February 20, 2023 - 09:39 by ce-press
Last year was a record in cruise traffic for the Port of A Coruna with a total of 222,723 passengers arriving on board 136 calls, up from the previous record of 184,069 passengers and 121 calls in 2017.
In 2022 there were 20 double call days and three triple call days. Other highlights included inaugural calls from Disney Magic, Valiant Lady, Iona and Carnival Celebration on her maiden voyage.
Autumn saw the most intense activity of 2022, with spring a close second. There were 24 calls in October - a record monthly figure - and 21 in September. April and May saw 19 and 18 calls respectively. “These figures highlight the important role the port plays in deseasonalising the city’s tourism industry,” explains Samantha Garcia-Carro de la Colina, head of commercial Port of A Coruna.
The president of the port authority, Martin Fernandez Prado, stressed the major economic impact this large number of visitors had on the city, estimated to be €20 million-plus. Cruiseship traffic is seen as a major driver for promoting the city and the principal point of entry for international tourism.
Fernandez Prado considers these figures to be “the excellent results of the intense commercial activity aimed at attracting business, with the invaluable help of tour operators and agents, whilst at the same time consolidating the loyalty of existing clients thanks to our excellent standards of service and ongoing improvements to our facilities”.
This year more than 140 calls are scheduled, which include 24 multiple call days, including five triples. P&O Cruises’ Arvia will make an inaugural call with 14 more scheduled this year. Also visiting A Coruna for the first time will be Viking Saturn and Oceania Cruises’ Vista.
When it comes to attractions, A Coruna will be the first port of call for the Tall Ships Race this year which is paying tribute to the Magellan-Elcano expedition, the first voyage around the world completed more than 500 years ago.
