Croatian ferry ports record a major decline in traffic
The ferry and catamaran ports have seen a significant decrease of both passenger and cargo traffic in 2020, as it was expected to be this year. In the third quarter of 2020, a total of 10.6 million passengers were embarked and disembarked. When compared to the same period in 2019, that is a decrease of 44 percent, as well as the lowest number of passengers in the last 10 years, as stated by Croatian Bureau of Statistics.
These statistics are a direct result of COVID-19 pandemic, which caused major losses in both international and domestic ferry routes. Passenger numbers for ferries and passenger ships have increased for 42 percent. A decrease in vehicle transport on ferries was also significant, as seen by the drop of 25.2 percent for cars and 74.2 percent for buses. Third quarter of 2020 saw a return of cruise ships in Croatia, but when compared to 2019, overall traffic of cruisers dropped by 99.5 percent.
As for the cargo transportation, among 5 harbors which account for over 90 percent of Croatian cargo traffic, only ports in Omisalj, Bakar and Split saw some kind of a traffic increase in the third quarter. When compared to 2019, Omisalj increased by 29.6 percent, Bakar by 19.9 percent and Split by 10.4 percent. The overall cargo traffic in Croatia increased by 7.5 percent when compared to the same period last year. A cause of this was an increase of fluid cargo by 15.1 percent and dry bulk goods by 10.9 percent.
In other news, a deadline for a new company which will serve ferry route Rava – Iž – Zadar i Zadar – Sali – Zaglav (and vice versa) was extended. The companies have to submit their offers by December 15th 2020. The reason for this is expansion of tender documentation. The new (or current company G&V Line Iadera) will service this ferry route from and to Rava island starting on January 1st 2021.
