Cartagena expects record number of cruise passengers for 2025

Mayor Noelia Arroyo stated that almost 200 cruise ships will visit Cartagena in the new year 

The second phase of the renovation of the seafront in Cartagena will begin in 2025. The local government is expecting a record number of passengers in the new year and the port needs to be up to standards for the arrival of each new tourist.

All of this and more was announced yesterday by the Mayor of Cartagena, Noelia Arroyo, at a meeting of the Port Administration Council, held at the City Hall. The president of the Port, Pedro Pablo Hernández, supported the statements made by the mayor by also speaking to the importance of the improvements needed, as there will be 199 ships and 265,000 passengers expected next year.

The mayor further highlighted the role that the renovations will play in transforming the historic centre and de-seasonalising the tourism sector. There is work needed to be completed on the cruise ship dock that will connect the port with the city, the mayor stated.

She added that the improvements will “allow us to consolidate a new axis of activity in the old town, through Calle Gisbert, with the new uses of the market, the attraction of the Roman Amphitheatre and the Plaza del Lago, which we will turn into a cultural square, with projects such as the Cine Central”.

Furthermore, in regards to cruise tourism, Hernández highlighted the importance for the local economy in the arrival of cruise ships throughout the year.

He stated that “attracting cruise ships ensures permanent income for our businesses, not only in spring and summer, but also in autumn and winter, which keeps the tourism sector in the centre of Cartagena alive throughout the year.”

The president of the Port explained that “more than half of the ships that will visit us belong to premium and luxury categories, which means that we will have tourists with high purchasing power, interested in exclusive experiences that will enrich our cultural and gastronomic offering.”

Moreover, it is estimated by the local government that cruise tourism will generate an average of 5,000 visitors per week in 2025, with the busiest months being April, October and November. The majority of the cruise passengers will be British and American tourists and they are mostly likely to visit the Roman Theatre, the Castle of the Conception and the Roman Forum District. It is predicted that on average the passengers will spend around 19 euros each and this will add a huge boost to the city and its earnings.

Finally, in addition to the cruise ships, the mayor wishes to focus on the need to address strategic challenges such as the expansion of the port in Escombreras, with the Barlomar project, and the new El Gorguel dock.

The mayor stated that “these infrastructures are essential not only to guarantee the growth of port traffic, but also to strengthen Cartagena as a logistics and commercial hub in the Mediterranean,” 

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Image: Archive