A total of 81 cruise ships called at the Port of Gothenburg in 2022. That's seven more calls than the previous record season in 2014.
– It is a real recovery after a few years of pandemic, even though other tragic circumstances are largely behind the increase, says Nicole Brattåsen, Cruise Operations Manager at Gothenburg Port AB.
– As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian ports were excluded, and the shipping companies had to remove the big draw St. Petersburg from their plans and find alternatives. In Gothenburg, we already had a good booking situation for 2022, but the number increased in the spring with 30 bookings as a result of the geopolitical situation, says Nicole Brattåsen.
Gothenburg – the opposite of what people want
The majority of cruise passengers in Gothenburg are Germans, Brits and Americans – in that order. Once in the city, both classic tourist attractions such as Haga and Kronhusbodarna are popular, as well as destinations outside the city such as Klädesholmarna, Skärhamn, Marstrand and Tjolöholms slott.
– We sell Gothenburg a bit as a break from the regular cruise offer depending on the target group. For example, for city cruisers, we are a slightly more relaxed city with a nice vibe. For expedition cruisers, we are a fun detour from fishing communities and smaller villages where we can offer a little more pulse and city feel.
New record year coming in 2023
The 2023 cruise season is already looking set to be another record year for Gothenburg. Currently, a full 92 calls are booked. But in the long term, Gothenburg needs to continue to strengthen its competitiveness as a destination in a global cruise industry that is facing several challenges.
– Firstly, we have a recession underway that is affecting all experience industries. On a slightly more regional level, there is a challenge where the Baltic region needs to find a new identity without St. Petersburg, says Nicole Brattåsen.
Like other industries, the cruise industry is also facing a sustainability challenge, including increasingly connecting ships to electricity at berth and looking at alternative ship fuels such as biogas and methanol.
– But destinations also need to do their part, and Gothenburg is at the forefront of this. The city has been named the world's most sustainable destination six times in a row, and we are getting indications from tour operators that guests want to learn more about it and what Gothenburg is concretely doing to be sustainable.
– When it comes to alternative fuels, the Port of Gothenburg was the first in the world to have operating regulations for bunkering both methanol and biogas, and we are investing heavily in becoming a central bunkering hub for alternative fuels. This helps to increase the pace of change and at the same time makes us more attractive as a destination for shipping companies that are making the switch, says Nicole Brattåsen.
The pandemic brought new behaviors
The cruise industry in general has also been through a tough time due to the pandemic, with the recovery still ongoing. Gothenburg had a total of around 80,000 cruise visitors in 2022, and many operators clearly notice their sales when cruise guests are visiting.
– The occupancy rate has been around 70% on the ships. There is caution from both shipping companies and travelers where they do not want to take any risks. We are also seeing new patterns on land, for example, the demand for subscribing to entire restaurants or concert halls where you stay within the cruise bubble has increased.
– At the same time, there is the opposite trend where people want to get closer to people, meet locals, visit farms, microbreweries and more. Cruise passengers are not a homogeneous group but individuals who want to experience different things, says Nicole Brattåsen.
Facts: cruise season 2022 (and 2023)
Number of calls in 2022: 81 calls distributed among 25 different shipping companies.
Number of passengers in 2022: Approximately 80,000.
Largest ship, length 2022: Disney Magic, 300 meters.
Largest ships, capacity 2022: Mein Schiff, Disney Magic and MSC Poesia, 2,700 passengers.
Booked calls in 2023: 92 calls.
New calls in 2023: To Amerikakajen: Ocean Odyssey and Clio. To Arendal: Renessancia, Seven Seas Navigator, Princess Caribbean and MSC Explora from MSC's new luxury segment. "MS The World" will also visit Amerikakajen during the summer, and is special in that the passengers on board are not guests but residents.
According to the press release.
