Dubrovnik expects more than 300 cruisers during the next year

Tourism showed unexpected vitality and resilience during the pandemic in 2021. However, the effects of the recent tourist season in the far south of Croatia are weaker than those recorded in the central or northern part of the Adriatic. This is largely due to the fact that it is mostly an air destination. Despite this, it can be said that tourism workers will wait much less anxiously for the 2022 season. 

As sensitive as it is to health security circumstances, tourism has proven to be an extremely vital segment of the economy. The recovery is also recorded in the cruising domain. The director of the Dubrovnik Port Authority Blaž Pezo especially talks about this.

I am very satisfied with this year’s cruising season, which is still going on, and we expect the arrival of about 15 more cruisers by the end of the year. Namely, the capacities of “floating hotels” were limited and each ship came with only 50-60% of the capacity given the maximum allowed COVID capacity. All this is far from ideal, but we are satisfied because last year there were only 25 dockings with the arrival of a total of only 4,323 passengers.

Also, there were dockings for technical reasons. In this context, this year’s arrival of 123 cruisers with a total of 102,326 passengers in the Dubrovnik port of Gruž by October 29 is a huge step forward. It should be said that by the end of the year, another 15 arrivals and about 7,500 passengers are expected, so the final effect of the 2021 season will be 138 dockings and the arrival of 110 thousand passengers on cruises.

I believe that we have shown that cruising tourism has a future and partners in us and that even in these conditions, a safe cruising business can be conducted. We are optimistic about the 2022 season, when, with the increase in turnover in the pre-season and post-season, as many as 365 crowns were announced. I take this opportunity to brag that, thanks to responsible and diligent action, in cooperation with other stakeholders, we have been declared a water cruise destination in Europe in 2021 by the World Travel Awards.

Blaž Pezo

So far, a little more than one hundred thousand cruise passengers have arrived with only 13.3% with 26.25% of dockings compared to the record year of 2019, but the city has once again turned into a tourist Mecca.

Of course, a lot depends on the course of the pandemic, but it is already known that for the next season in 2022, as many as 365 ship arrivals with about 570 000 passengers have been announced, which is fully in line with sustainable tourism plans in destinations. The maximum number of passengers from cruise ships in Dubrovnik throughout 2022 will be 4,000 passengers at a time.

In addition to these limits, traffic in the pre-season and post-season is expected to increase during the next season. Also, a decrease in traffic in July and August as the peak months of the tourist season will reduce the expected number of passengers and ships in that period. In addition to all the above, the cruising season 2022 will still be extended and last from the beginning of March to the end of December, which will extend the overall tourist season in the Dubrovnik area.

Source: Morski.hr