Arrival of 600 cruise ship passengers kicks off season for coastal town

The first 600 cruise ship passengers have arrived at the Port of Palamós, kicking off the season for the coastal town located on the Costa Brava in the county of Girona. At eight in the morning, the tourists, mostly from the United Kingdon, disembarked from the Saga Sapphire cruise ship, the first of 49 ships expected to port in Palamós throughout 2018.

Despite an increase in the number of cruise passengers of 11% compared to last year, and a rise of 17% in the total of ships forecast in the year, the government has highlighted that commitment to quality is important.

“The most relevant thing is that the tourists who come generate a significant economic activity in the area,” said Ricard Font, the government secretary of territory and mobility.

While some tourists have decided to stay in town, others have headed further afield in order to visit places like the city of Girona, or the Dalí museum in Figueres.

Economic impact

For his part, Font emphasized that the cruise ship passengers have a “significant” purchasing power, stating half of the 49 cruise ships coming throughout the year are luxury liners.

For the hours that the ship is in port, passengers spend an average of between 120 and 200 euros.

All year round

Aside from quality, Fonts also stated that another objective if for the Palamós port to receive cruise ships throughout the year. “If we can start the season in February, much better than March, if we can stretch it to Christmas, perfect,” he said.

Record figures

Costa Brava Cruise Ports, a public entity that promoted the ports of Palamós and Roses, both on the Costa Brava, believes that this year will be the best in their history. Between both ports, 62 cruise ship stopovers are expecting, bringing a total of 57,000 passengers.