Adriatic Sea Report: Igoumenitsa and Corfu Ports See Maritime Tourism Rise in 2023

The ports of Igoumenitsa and Corfu each saw increases in passenger traffic in distinct maritime tourism segments in 2023, according to a report by tourism research and consultancy firm Risposte Turismo.

The firm’s latest Adriatic Sea Tourism Report found that Igoumenitsa Port reported a 21 percent rise in ferry traffic last year and Corfu Port experienced 27 percent growth in cruise passengers.

Risposte Turismo’s report highlights that 2023 concluded with record figures for ferry traffic and a notable rise in cruise tourism in the Adriatic region.

The data was released ahead of the seventh edition of the “Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht”. Thε international event, organized by Risposte Turismo, focuses on maritime tourism in the Adriatic and will take place on October 24-25 in Ravenna, Italy.

According to the report, 2023 ended with record figures for ferry traffic in the Adriatic, with more than 20 million passenger movements, up 14 percent on 2022. Cruise traffic also rose compared to the previous year, with 4.6 million cruise passenger movements, up 32 percent on 2022, thanks to more than 3,000 calls.

Igoumenitsa port. Photo source: Igoumenitsa Port Authority .

In the ferry and hydrofoil segment, last year’s ranking was topped by Split (with almost 5.5 million passengers, a rise of 12 percent compared to 2022), followed by Igoumenitsa (approx. 3 million, up 21 percent on 2022) and Zadar (more than 2.5 million passengers, up 5 percent on 2022).

As regards cruises, Venice regained a place on the podium last year in terms of the number of tourists through the port (more than 507,000, a rise of 110 percent), behind Corfù (more than 667,000, up 27 percent on 2022) and Dubrovnik (more than 526,000, up 40 percent on 2022).

The port of Corfu, Greece. Photo source: CLIA

Ravenna, which will be hosting the seventh edition of the Adriatic Sea Forum, came in at number eight in the ranking last year, with more than 330,000 cruise passenger movements and a hundred or so calls that earned it a rise of 10 positions in the cruise ports ranking compared to 2019.

The Risposte Turismo researchers noted a further rise in nautical tourism in 2023, evident in the study conducted on a sample of charter operators, seven out of ten of which reported an increase in customers, and marinas, for 98 percent of which customer numbers either rose (38 percent) or remained stable (60 percent).

“The distinctive feature of the monitoring we carry out on maritime tourism in the Adriatic is that it combines an analysis of the three fundamental elements of maritime tourism dynamics: cruises, ferries and sailing and yachting,” said Risposte Turismo President Francesco di Cesare.

According to di Cesare, 2023 was a year to remember due to the strong recovery of the cruise sector, a healthy nautical tourism sector and a new record for ferry passenger numbers.

“It is not difficult to imagine the benefits not only for the destinations themselves, but also for all the production and maritime tourism chains involved,” he added.

Risposte Turismo President Francesco di Cesare.

Risposte Turismo has been publishing the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report, which analyses the flows, size, nature and directions of tourism movements by sea in the Adriatic, since 2013.

Further details of the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report will be unveiled at the seventh edition of the “Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht” in Ravenna, Italy, during October 24-25.

The two-day forum is organised by Risposte Turismo and is a key event for all operators in the cruise, ferry, sailing and yachting sectors.

It will be held in the setting of the Dante Alighieri Theatre and Palazzo Rasponi dalle Teste.

Press here for further information on the 7th Adriatic Sea Forum.

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) is a communication sponsor of the 7th Adriatic Sea Forum.