MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spanish ports handled 6 million cruise passengers in 2009, a 3% expansion

Barcelona is the leading port but Málaga is growing rapidly

Spanish ports reported growth in cruise passenger numbers last year, despite the impact of the economic downturn on the country’s tourism sector. The country’s state-owned ports handled just over 6 million passengers last year, a 3% increase over figures for 2008.

Top of the pack was Barcelona, which consolidates its position as the Mediterranean’s leading cruise port and handled 2.15 million passengers. But there was also a success story in southern Spain, where Málaga has experienced a rapid growth in this sector over the past few years.

From virtually no cruise business a decade ago, Málaga has tripled the number of passengers by attracting leading companies to its port installations. Last year it handled nearly half a million passengers, making it Spain’s fifth busiest port for this business.

The port has invested in new facilities and the city’s close by airport means some leading lines are using Málaga as a home port for large ships, embarking and disembarking passengers there.

Puertos del Estado, Spain’s national port authority, said over 285 million Euro would be invested in cruise-related facilities across the state-owned network over the next four years. Like Gibraltar and other European destinations, Spanish ports will also be promoting their offering at the sector’s premier event in Miami next week.