The Balearic cruise industry appears to have enjoyed a late boost with passenger figures slightly up on last year at the end of September.
Palma.—At the beginning of the summer, there was a slight drop off in cruise passenger traffic and the number of cruise ships putting into Balearic ports, however, it appears that the market picked up towards the tail end of the summer. The latest figures, which run up to the end of September, reveal that during the first nine months of this year, 1.19 million cruise passengers visited the Balearics, 0.9 percent more than during the same period last year.
Between the start of the year and the end of September, a total of 532 cruise ships visited the Balearics, 2.7 percent more than last year and this late increase matches the overall trend for the European cruise industry which is enjoying steady growth and is forecast to continue expanding.
For example, the number of British holiday makers choosing a holiday at sea continues to rise, with a record 1.79 million British holiday makers taking an ocean cruise last year – up five per cent on 2012.