Cartagena had received 100,000 cruise passengers by the end of August, in a year where the volume of cruise ships has risen exponentially, and in which the city has recovered part, but not all, of the ground lost following the pandemic.
The figures are similar to those seen in 2019, and invite optimism for the recovery of this type of tourism, encouraged by the rise of a sector in which customers have felt very well supported thanks to the measures and protocols that were introduced in ports as soon as they were opened to the reception of cruise ships.
A total of 110 ships have arrived in the Port of Cartagena since January, which represents an increase of approximately 10% compared to the 2019 data. However, despite there being more ships there have been fewer passengers? The explanation is very simple, as during the first half of 2022 the shipping companies had contracted holiday packages from the previous year, when there were strict regulations on cruise capacity. In some cases, they were limited to no more than 50% or 70% of the occupancy of the ship’s capacity, which meant there were between 30% and 50% fewer tourists in the city.
