The ports of Palamós and Roses have closed the season with more passengers but fewer stopovers than a year ago. In total, they have received 52,300 tourists, a figure that represents 4.6% more than the previous year. However, the number of stopovers has fallen, with ten fewer than in 2022, according to data from Port de la Generalitat.
A decrease in the number of stops, which Ports de la Generalitat does not give excessive importance to. They attribute this to fluctuations in the cruise market and the annual strategy of each company internationally. “Many change their boat routes every season,” they explain.
This season seven fewer stops were planned than the previous year, although in the end there were three more, ten in total, due to the bad weather. “That, however, is not an obstacle for more companies to return next year, since this is a market in constant movement,” say the same sources.
In total there have been 12 cruise lines that have disembarked passengers this year on the coast of the Costa Brava. 60% are high-end companies, which usually carry fewer passengers than standard lines.
The port of Palamós concentrated more than 99% of the passengers that docked on the Costa Brava between April 10 and November 18, when the cruise season closed. The Baix Empordà town has received 52,000 tourists, 7% more than a year ago, on board 49 stops, seven less than then.
Regarding the profile of the passengers, 78% were British, followed by 12% North Americans and, further away, Irish (3%), Australians (2%) and Germans, Belgians and Canadians (1%).
Only 23 out of every 100 tourists traveling on board those cruises chose to visit another area of ??the province. The vast majority, 77%, choose to stay in the municipality. Among the most requested excursions are the destinations of Pals, Girona, Figueres, Platja d’Aro, Púbol, Tossa de Mar, S’Agaró, Peralada, Besalú and Banyoles.
Some have also chosen to rent electric bicycles and go to Calella de Palafrugell or pedal along a green route in the area. Wine tourism visits to Empordà wineries have also grown. 62% of cruises arrived in low season.
In Roses, the percentage of shipping companies that choose to call at the port of Alt Empordà is still residual. This year, Roses has received 300 passengers aboard four cruise ships. There have been two fewer stops than initially planned due to cancellations due to bad weather. There have been three fewer stops than a year ago and a thousand fewer travelers.
35% of the tourists on board the cruises were North Americans. 34% were French, 9% Swiss and in smaller percentages, there were also Canadians (7%), Belgians (4%), British (4%) and Poles (2%), among other nationalities.
27% chose to take excursions to Figueres, Girona or Cadaqués and the rest stayed in Roses.
Port de la Generalitat estimates the economic impact of the activity generated by cruise ships in the territory at 5 million euros. This amount is calculated from a study by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which estimates that each passenger who disembarks spends, on average, about 90 euros. The amount adds 6 euros more per passenger for the expense linked to the ship for port services.
