A Coruña

A Coruña has confirmed 108 stopovers for 2019 and expects to stay ahead in the Galician cruise segment.

The Leixoes cruise terminal near the city of Oporto is expected to close 2018 with 113 cruise calls and more than 120 thousand passengers, which represents an increase, compared to the previous year, of 13% and 26%, respectively, and would set a new record in its continued increase in cruise liners in recent years, to the detriment of Vigo.
These figures, although not yet surpassing Vigo, put it very close, with the prospect of getting some more cruises throughout the year, which could lead the Portuguese to overtake Vigo this year, which foresees some 65 stopovers and 145,000 cruisers. Compared to the years of decline that has been marked by the port of Vigo in recent years – Vigo had 144,188 maritime tourists in 2017 and 169,223 the previous year – the A Coruña has announced 180.It has already confirmed the presence of 108 cruise calls by 2019, a figure that would keep the port infrastructure in A Coruña as a leader in the cruise liner segment among the ports on the Cantabrian-Atlantic coast.
The commercial agreement between Leixoes and A Coruña seems to have produced good results: in 2011 Vigo had five times more cruise liners than Oporto, now almost at par, due in large part to the relocation of shipping companies, which changed their destinations. Since its opening in 2011, the new Leixões Cruise Terminal has already received 252 stopovers with 360 thousand passengers, and in 2017 opened the region’s doors to 96 thousand tourists and 100 cruise ships, representing a 33% increase in passengers and a 19% increase in ships compared to the previous year. Leixoes expects to reach 120,000 this year and continue to grow in the coming years with its facilities.
For its part, the Port of A Coruña has tripled cruise numbers in just nine years, reaching its record of cruise ship passengers with more than 180,000 passengers in 2017.