Numbers represent 43% growth on business pre-pandemic
2022 saw Lisbon’s port beat all records so far for cruise vessel stopovers and cruise passengers that originated from and/or were destined for the Portuguese capital, surpassing a hundred stopovers in this segment for the first time, the port authority announced today.
In all, there were 103 cruise calls in ‘turnaround’ (those that had Lisbon as origin or destination), involving 88,292 passengers.
“Compared to 2019, these numbers represent growths of 43% in port calls and 21% in the number of passengers,” demonstrating “the interest by cruise operators to embark and disembark their ships” at this port, said the port’s Lisbon management (APL) in a note sent to newsrooms.
According to APL, in economic terms, the ‘turnaround’ segment is what brings the most wealth to destinations: a passenger embarked in Lisbon spends an average of €367 in the city, according to a study of the economic impact of cruise activity in Lisbon.
“Considering that in 2022, 45,276 passengers embarked at the port of Lisbon, we are talking about approximately €17 million of direct economic impact generated just by the people who started their journey in the Portuguese capital,” stressed Carlos Correia, chairman of the Lisbon port authority
Overall, the port of Lisbon recorded 327 cruise ship calls, “which represented an increase of 5.5%, compared to the 310 recorded in 2019.”
Despite having had more port calls, the port of Lisbon did not record, however, an increase in the number of passengers (which came to 492,438). This seems “largely justified by records received in the first semester, a period when health protocols on board (due to Covid-19) were still in force”, said the statement.
Nonetheless three operators made their debut in the city, and two ships – the ‘Silver Dawn’ and the ‘Evrima’ – were christened in Lisbon.
Lusa adds that Lisbon cruise terminal was distinguished as the best in Europe, in last year’s World Cruise Awards.
Source: Lusa
