Copenhagen: New cruise records in 2019. This year’s contender is Visby, where the number of arrivals increased by 40 per cent
Now that the cruise season can be summarised, it can be revealed that CMP is continuing to break records. This year’s contender is Visby, where the number of arrivals increased by 40 per cent.
At the same time, Copenhagen is consolidating its position as Northern Europe’s major destination – a position which will be strengthened as early as next year when the city will receive one million passengers.
Cruise traffic has long been one of CMP’s most expansive areas and the 2019 season is no exception. Quite the opposite. There was a new all time high with 465 arrivals in Copenhagen, Visby and Malmö.
”I am particularly pleased with the development in Visby, where we had 100 arrivals. The year before there was 70,” observes Henrik Ahlkvist, Head of Cruise & Ferries within CMP.
The background is the new cruise quay that has been built and which paved the way for more traffic. Henrik Ahlkvist also highlights the fact that the collaboration with Region Gotland and other local actors has been deepened and contributed to the growth of cruise tourism.
Added to this is Visby’s strategic location in the Baltic. The shipping companies base their routes around major cruise destinations such as Stockholm and St. Petersburg, which makes it easy to plan a detour to Visby.
Moreover, the strong development will continue in 2020 when Visby will receive a total of 136 arrivals.
”Do like CMP”
Copenhagen is and remains the largest destination. Not just within CMP, but in Northern Europe as a whole. When the 2019 season finishes, the city will have received 350 arrivals. The success factors include the fact that the port is easy to dock at, the cruise terminals are modern and the proximity to the international airport, Kastrup.
CMP also comes top when shipping companies all over the world rank the best turnaround ports, in other words, where the passengers start or end their cruise.
”When other ports ask shipping companies what they can do to improve at turnaround, they sometimes receive the following answer: ”Do like CMP, we don’t really know how they do it, but it works very well,” Henrik Ahlkvist reports.
”Naturally, this feels really good,” he continues. “I think that one of the explanations is that we have such a closely united team in our cruise service. Every ship offers new challenges, but our team works flexibly and always has the right solution for both shipping company and passengers.”
Malmö is CMP’s smallest destination, receiving 13 arrivals this year. Surveys that have been conducted show that the passengers like the city, in part for the short distance between the cruise terminal and the city centre, in part for the positive reception the visitors receive along with the shopping and the excellent food.
”We are consequently engaged in a dialogue with shipping companies. In issues that concern cruise tourism we also enjoy a close collaboration with Malmö City, which is involved in the development of this part of the tourism industry.”
Ever larger ships
Talking of development, much of the future growth in the sector concerns the ever larger cruise ships. During 2020, Copenhagen is expected to receive about the same number of arrivals as in 2019. The number of passengers will nevertheless increase by about 100,000 as the ships are getting larger. This means that for the first time CMP is expected to welcome one million passengers in Copenhagen alone.
”Next year we will receive ships that can take 6,000 passengers. During 2021 we are expecting to receive 35 ships in this size category. It says something about how quickly the change is taking place.”
This is generally a solid development throughout the cruise industry, with some 120 new ships being put into service in the next ten years.
Sustainable cruises
An obvious part of the development is the management of various sustainability issues. Together with 29 other cruise destinations, CMP presented a manifesto in May with the aim of reducing emissions in ports and port cities in the Baltic region. In parallel with these major joint initiatives, environmental management has developed in Copenhagen in 2019.
”We now only use electric-powered forklifts on the quays and new technology has made waste treatment more efficient, cutting the amount of transportation. These two initiatives thus produce less emissions,” Henrik Ahlkvist reports.
Along with the rest of CMP, he can look forward to a few more cruise arrivals before the year is over. The final arrivals in the ordinary season in Copenhagen were at the end of October. There were subsequently a few weeks of rest before it was time for the traditional Christmas and New Year cruises, of which there are five in 2019.
(CMP)
