Cruise ship passengers account for 4% of Barcelona visitors, study estimates

A new study on cruise ship activity in Barcelona and its impact in Catalonia shows that only 4.1% of visitors on the streets of the capital in 2019 came from ocean liners. 

This figure was the average for the whole of the last year before the pandemic, with the month-by-month spread well balanced throughout the year, especially between April and November – with a peak of only 5.6% in September and a low of 1.5% in December. 

That year, the average number of visitors in Barcelona each day was 158,610, of which 6,566 came from cruise ships. They add that on only five days over the decade counting 2010-2019 did the number of cruise ship visitors in the city surpass 30,000. 

The analysis by the University of Barcelona and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) presented by Jordi Suriñach, professor of Applied Economics at UB, and CLIA Director for Spain, Alfredo Serrano, on Thursday morning in Barcelona looked at the evolution of cruise ship activity, the profile of visitors who use this method of visiting places, and their economic impact on the Catalan capital. 

The findings also show that the growth in cruise activity between 2010-2019 has been slower than that of overall visitors to Barcelona, and more moderate than the growth of visitors who come by plane. 

In this decade, according to UB and CLIA, the number of visitors who came by ocean liners grew by an annual average of 3.1%, while the overall yearly average was 4.3%, and the number of tourists who arrived by plane grew by 8% in this period. 

The analysis also estimated that the sector had an economic impact of €1.083 billion in 2016, providing 9,056 jobs. 

Regarding contributions to the tourist tax that the city of Barcelona takes in, the study estimates that cruise ship passengers paid 8.4% (€1.2 million) of the total paid to the city council in 2019 and predicts that, with increases in levies, this will rise to 13% (€8 million) in 2023. 

The average profile of cruise ship traveller also tended to be older, spent more money, and partook in cultural activities more than average the average visitor. In addition, the data presented outlined that cruise ship passengers who stay in Barcelona before or after their voyage spend on average €100 more per person per day in the city – up to an average of €230 per person per day.

Also highlighted were the growth of the number of visitors who come to Barcelona to embark on or after disembarking from a cruise and who also opt to stay in the city for at least one night, thus spending more money. The yearly growth of visitors who end up staying in the city for at least a night has been around 3.7%, compared to just 2.8% for cruise passengers who don't have an overnight stay.

During a media attention, Serrano asked the city council for a plan "to address the tourism industry and tell us clearly if cruise ship passengers are causing massification of tourism, even though we do not believe this is happening."

Liquified Natural Gas

Alfredo Serrano informed the media that 35% of the cruise passengers who will come to Barcelona this year will do so on ships powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). The CLIA official hailed this as one of the cleanest fuel options available to cruise ships at the moment, and highlighted its vast growth in recent years.

According to figures provided by the group, using LNG over other fossil fuels eliminates sulfur oxide emissions, reduces emissions of suspended particles by 95%, and cuts nitrogen oxide pollution by 85%. Serrano also points out that most ships being constructed at the moment are being built with LNG engines and that in some cases it can be possible to retrofit already built ships with engines that can take the newer type of fuel. 

Despite this, environmental groups consider LNG a "fake solution" to pollution. Jacob Armstrong, sustainable shipping officer at Transport & Environment Federation, told reports at an event organized by the 'Stop Creuers' organization this week that, despite what cruise ship companies and groups claim, "in reality, liquified natural gas is 90% natural gas, which warms the Earth 80 times faster than carbon dioxide."

Deputy mayor calls for limits on passenger numbers

Janet Sanz, deputy mayor of Barcelona, has urged the Catalan government to set clear measures for the Port of Barcelona to limit the "absolutely disproportionate" number of cruise ship passengers who enter the city. 

Sanz was disappointed that the presidency minister, Laura Vilagrà, assured that the Government "does not think it is necessary" to call a meeting with the city council to address such sustainability criteria because the Port of Barcelona is already meeting with companies. "This does us no good," she remarked.

"We need to establish how many cruise ships we can take on in high season", Sanz insisted, who said that in May there will be 400,000 cruise ship passengers who will "crowd" the busiest areas of the city, such as La Rambla and Park Güell.