Cruise operations at Port Leixoes' Porto Cruise Terminal (Portugal) recorded a surge in cruise shipping activity in 2023-H1, reporting an 88% increase in passenger numbers and a 12% in voyages in comparison to 2022-H1.
Throughout the initial 6 months of 2023, the terminal received a total of 56 vessels, of which 7 made maiden visits to the port. The number of handled passengers reached an impressive 68203, signifying an extraordinary achievement as the most successful first half ever for cruise endeavors at the port.
In comparison to the record-breaking passenger figures attained in the first half of 2018, which stood as the peak year for cruise passenger traffic, the activity at our Porto Cruise Terminal exhibited a growth of 21%. Furthermore, a substantial increase of 42% was observed in comparison to the last pre-pandemic year of 2019. Notably, an 8% growth in the count of cruise ships was observed when compared to both 2018 and 2019.
A majority of the passengers gracing the Porto Cruise Terminal and exploring the captivating Porto & the North of Portugal Region hailed from the United Kingdom, constituting 41% of the total, followed by German visitors at 26%, and travelers from the USA at 20%.
The size of visiting cruise vessels is progressively expanding. Their average length is 218.5 m, showcasing a 3.1% expansion compared to the stats from 2022. A significant growth of 6.6% and 10.3% was observed over the years 2018 and 2019 respectively. Impressively, the total volume/GT-Gross Tonnage for 2023-H1 displayed a 29.4% surge (over 2022-H1). These numbers reflect an even more substantial advancement, with growth percentages of 36% and 26.1% compared to the pre-pandemic years of 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Anticipating the remainder of 2023, the Porto Cruise Terminal is poised to experience yet another record-breaking year, with a projected 127 cruise ship calls already planned and the end-of-year passenger count expected to surpass 150,000, all contributing to a flourishing visitation to the vibrant destination of Porto and the captivating North of Portugal.