Press release -
New record for Gothenburg, Sweden: From 10 to 50 cruise ships in 10 years
Visits by cruise ships to Gothenburg continue to break new records. This year 51 vessels will visit the city. On board will be 64,000 passengers eager to discover the friendly city of Gothenburg.
Last year, which was also a record-breaking year, 41 cruise ships put into the Por tof Gothenburg. In 2009, the figure was 34. At the beginning of the decade 10 cruise ships visited Gothenburg. The lowest figure recorded was for 2002 when just five vessels chose to visit the city.
The rise in the number of cruise lines choosing to include Gothenburg in their route has not come about by chance but is the result of focused collaboration between the Port of Gothenburg and the city's marketing company Göteborg & Co.
"We visit fairs and prospect cruise lines jointly – the Port and the city acting together engenders a feeling of confidence," states Jill Söderwall, head of cruise operations at the Port of Gothenburg.
Gothenburg is now the third-largest cruise destination in Sweden. Top of the list is Stockholm with around 280 visits each year followed by Visby with around 70 visits.
Most visitors from Germany and the UK
The majority of cruise visitors to Gothenburg are from Germany, the UK and the USA, followed by visitors from other European countries. The average age is around 60 although there is a trend towards more families with children and young persons opting for a cruise holiday.
Increasingly important source of income for the city
As with other tourists, cruise passengers like to stroll along Avenyn and around Haga, visit museums and gardens, go on an excursion around the archipelago or take a guided tour. And shop! The average tourist spends around SEK 900 in one day, which means that cruise visitors generate SEK 57 million in revenue for the city each year.
New quay beside the Volvo Museum
The aim is to bring the passengers as close to the city centre as possible and in 2009 a new cruise terminal was opened at the Freeport. Unfortunately, the very largest cruise ships are unable to pass under the bridge, Älvsborgsbron. To accommodate these vessels, a completely new cruise quay has been constructed at Arendal, directly beside the Volvo museum "The World of Volvo".
"The Arendal area is an excellent alternative. It is pleasant area, with close proximity to restaurants, a marina and areas to stroll, and you can make your way into the city very easily," states Jill Söderwall.
The enclosed Word version of the press release includes a table showing how many cruise visitors came to Gothenburg from 2000 up to the present.
For further information, please contact Cecilia Carlsson, Media Relations Officer, Port of Gothenburg, phone +46 31 731 22 45.
Regions
Fact file: Port of Gothenburg
The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region with 11,000 visits by vessels each year. One-third of Swedish foreign trade passes through the Port of Gothenburg as well as 65 per cent of all container traffic.
The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the world's largest container vessels and has the broadest range of shipping routes within and outside Europe. The 26 rail shuttles that depart each day mean that companies throughout Sweden and Norway have a direct, environmentally smart link to the largest port in the Nordic region. The Port of Gothenburg has terminals for oil, cars, ro-ro, containers and passengers.
