Cruise sector turns the corner in the end

Palma.—The Balearic  cruise industry has experienced an unexpected year, posting an surprise down turn in traffic at key periods.
During the first ten months of this year, the Balearics handled 1.4 million cruise passengers, just 0.13 percent more than  during the same period last year and 622 liners, 0.8 percent less.
And, it has been the same for the national industry.
In total, 6.3 million cruise passengers visited Spain, 1.9 percent than last year.
The industry took its biggest hits during some of the peak months.
In April, cruise passenger figures contracted by 3.8 percent, in May, figures shrank by 16 percent, June, 6.5 percent, July 14.5 percent and August, 1.4 percent.
At the start of the year, a down turn was certainly not expected and even Barcelona, the country’s most popular cruise destination, posted  a near nine percent drop in cruise passengers between January and October.