Report: Corfu to See Highest Number of Cruise Passenger Movements in the Adriatic

Risposte Turismo President Francesco di Cesare presenting the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report during the 6th the Adriatic Sea Forum in Dubrovnik. Photo source: Risposte Turismo

The 32 cruise ports in the Adriatic this year are expected to welcome a total of 4.5 million passenger movements (embarking, disembarking and transit), a rise of 29.3 percent compared to 2022, according to the latest Adriatic Sea Tourism Report.

Published by tourism research and consultancy company, Risposte Turismo, and released at the 6th Adriatic Sea Forum, the report also sees calls in the 32 cruise ports in the Adriatic increasing to 3,000 (+3.9 percent) this year.

At the end of the year, Corfu will be confirmed as the cruise port in the Adriatic with the highest number of passenger movements (615,000, up 16.8 percent compared to 2022), ahead of Venice (550,000, +127.3 percent), rising up the ranking with 243 cruise ship calls, without considering the traffic through Chioggia, and Dubrovnik (approx. 519,000, +37.6 percent). In fourth place is Bari (half a million passenger movements, +21.7 percent) and Kotor (440,000 passenger movements, +5.2 percent).

Archive photo of Port of Corfu. Photo source: Corfu Port Authority

In 2023, Italy is the country that will top the cruise traffic rankings, with just over 2 million passenger movements (+35 percent), accounting for 46.2 percent of the total, ahead of Croatia (approx. 1.1 million passenger movements, +33.1 percent) and Greece (624,000 passenger movements, +17.2 percent). Forecasts for the end of the year are also positive for the other nations looking onto the Adriatic, from Montenegro (479,000 passenger movements, +10.4 percent) to Slovenia (119,000 passenger movements, +59.3 percent) and Albania (25,000 passenger movements, +53.9 percent).

As regards cruise ship calls, at the end of 2023, Croatia will once again top the list of countries looking onto the Adriatic (1,140), ahead of Italy (863) and Montenegro (474).

Cruise traffic forecasts are based on the Risposte Turismo projection based on estimates of 18 cruise ports in the Adriatic area, which in 2022 together accounted for 98 percent of total passenger movements and 92 percent of calls.

Ferries: more than 19 million passenger movements by the end of 2023 (+7.9%)

Photo source: Risposte Turismo

Recovery is set to continue also with regard to passenger movements on ferries, hydrofoils and catamarans. According to the updated forecasts in the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report, by the end of 2023, the 13 main ports in the Adriatic will have recorded 19.3 million passenger movements (+7.9 percent) and over 79,000 calls (+9.9 percent).

Of the ports analysed, forecasts are positive for Split, which maintains a strong grip on the top spot, with 5.2 million passenger movements (+8 percent), Igoumenitsa (2.6 million passenger movements, +7 percent) and Zadar (2.5 million passenger movements, +3 percent).

Also worth mentioning is the growth of the port of Korčula (over 1 million passenger movements, +5 percent).

At national level, and even without counting internal routes, at the end of the year, Croatia will top the ranking, with over 9.7 million passenger movements (+6.2 percent), ahead of Greece (4.8 million, +6.6 percent) and Italy (3.2 million, +14.5 percent).

Nautical tourism: a rise in demand for services in marinas,
Germany the top market of origin for nautical tourism

The Adriatic Sea Tourism Report 2023 also takes an in-depth look at nautical tourism in the seven countries that look onto the Adriatic.

According to the representative sample of 78 marinas interviewed, in 2022, over half recorded a higher value than in 2019 for berth hire services (51 percent), maintenance (48 percent) and sales of equipment (42 percent) offered to domestic, seasonal and daily customers in transit.

Photo source: Risposte Turismo

As regards the origin of nautical tourists, the nautical facilities examined reported that most came from Germany (for 65.4 percent of the sample), Italy (55.1 percent of the sample) and Austria (41 percent of the sample).

Among the results of the survey on the marinas was an increase in rates charged to customers in 2023 (for berths and services), reported by 71 percent of the sample interviewed.

Finally, with regard to the updated forecasts for 2023, the samples interviewed from both the marinas and the charter companies showed that operator confidence in a rise of nautical tourism in the Adriatic remains high, with 39 percent and 60 percent respectively expecting a more positive season, following on from the encouraging results of 2022.

“The numbers we are sharing with all the operators at this sixth edition of the Adriatic Sea Forum indicate an across-the-board recovery in maritime tourism in the Adriatic, a segment that will soon – by 2024, if not already in 2023 – be witnessing a return to the figures recorded before the pandemic,” said Francesco di Cesare, President of Risposte Turismo.

The sixth edition of the Adriatic Sea Forum – cruise, ferry sail & yacht took place in Dubrovnik during May 4-5 under the organization of Risposte Turismo.

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) is a communication sponsor of the 6th Adriatic Sea Forum.