Portimão port received the longest ship in its history last Sunday.
The Balmoral, a cruise ship owned and operated by the UK’s Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, measures 218.18 metres in length, weighs 43,537 tons and has a capacity for 1,350 passengers.
According to Portimão Câmara, for this type of vessel to dock at the port, serious investment by the government is needed.
Areas requiring work include the improvement of accessibility to the port, the construction of a passenger terminal and a multifunctional support system for cruise ships.
In May this year, a parliamentary committee of Economy and Public Works visited the port of Portimão to discuss its potential and the current constraints hindering its growth.
Members of the committee met with representatives of the Port and Maritime Transport Institute and Portimão Câmara to discuss what type of investment is needed to consolidate the port’s position as the gateway to Europe in southern Portugal.
The importance of the port sector to the regional economy through the growth of cruise tourism, and the role of the cargo shipping industry, was also identified, further reinforcing the need to integrate the Algarve into the port and maritime transport industry.
No indication has yet been given by the government as to its intentions to invest in the Portimão port.
