Greek Ports to Drive Growth in Adriatic Passenger Traffic in 2025

Photo source: Risposte Turismo

As the Adriatic maritime tourism market experiences steady growth, Greek destinations are set to play a central role, according to the latest edition of the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report.

Published by tourism research and consultancy company, Risposte Turismo, the report sees Corfu, a leading cruise port in the region, poised for a 3 percent increase in passenger movements in 2025, with 750,000 anticipated.

Moreover, the nearby port of Igoumenitsa is also expected to see growth, with a 2 percent rise in ferry passengers, underlining the importance of Greek ports in driving the region’s maritime tourism forward.

These developments are part of a broader trend of rising traffic across the Adriatic.

Growth in Adriatic ports

Source: Risposte Turismo

Presented at the 7th Adriatic Sea Forum in Ravenna, the latest Adriatic Sea Tourism Report showed that more than 20 ports in the Adriatic are forecasted to see cruise traffic increase next year.

Initial projections for 2025 predict over 5.1 million passenger movements (embarking, disembarking, and transit) across Adriatic ports, marking a 3.9 percent increase compared to 2024. The number of cruise calls is also expected to rise by 5.8 percent, surpassing 3,400 calls in total.

Major destinations and growth drivers

Looking at individual ports, Corfu remains the top cruise port in the Adriatic, followed by Kotor in Montenegro (615,000 movements, +1 percent compared to 2024) and Venice, which, along with Dubrovnik, will be competing for the third spot.

These ports are central to the region’s cruise traffic growth, which continues to be driven by strong demand for Mediterranean destinations.

Photo source: Corfu Port Authority

Italy, Croatia, and emerging markets

More into the data, Italy will continue to lead the Adriatic cruise market in 2025, with 2 million passenger movements expected, stable compared to 2024.

However, Croatia will top the list for cruise calls, with around 1,390 calls (+5.5 percent from 2024).

Albania and Montenegro are projected to see the highest growth, with Albania’s Sarandë port anticipated to grow by 260 percent, reaching 70,000 passengers, and Montenegro’s Bar expected to increase by 203 percent with over 145,000 passengers.

Ferry traffic: A steady rise in passenger numbers

In addition to cruise traffic, ferry, hydrofoil, and fast catamaran services are also set to experience moderate growth in 2025, according to the latest Adriatic Sea Tourism Report.

The top ports for these services will remain Split, Igoumenitsa, and Zadar. Combined, ferry services in the Adriatic are expected to approach 21 million passenger movements, a slight increase from the previous year.

Photo source: Risposte Turismo

Nautical tourism: A growing market

The report also showed that nautical tourism in the Adriatic continues to grow, with over 500,000 tourist movements expected by the end of 2024.

The Adriatic’s growing number of marinas and berths, coupled with its appeal to yacht owners and charter tourists, signals a bright future for this sector. The demand for nautical tourism services is expected to continue its upward trend, bolstered by investments in new marinas and facilities.

Significant investments in Maritime Tourism infrastructure

Regarding investments, the report revealed that in the coming years, more than 390 million euros will be invested in maritime tourism infrastructure in the Adriatic region. This includes 200 million euros allocated to cruise and ferry sectors for terminal and station development, and over 190 million euros for nautical tourism, with new marinas and expanded facilities planned. These investments are expected to enhance the region’s competitiveness and appeal to both operators and tourists.

Future outlook: Moderate yet positive growth

Photo source: Risposte Turismo

Risposte Turismo’s Francesco di Cesare highlighted that the Adriatic’s maritime tourism is set for “moderate” but consistent growth.

He attributes this to the region’s rich cultural and historical offerings, as well as substantial infrastructure investments, which are attracting more tourists and operators.

According to di Cesare, as the Adriatic continues to develop, the region’s potential remains vast, with further opportunities for growth through joint efforts by private and public sectors to promote the area.

“Here at Risposte Turismo, we believe it is always important to draw attention to the significant gap that remains between the current results and the potential of the area, a gap that can be bridged in particular through a joint effort to promote the area, and all of us – private operators and public decision-makers, national tourist promotion agencies and individual local councils – must work together to foster the development of the Adriatic brand,” he concluded.

Photo source: Risposte Turismo

The seventh edition of the Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht event took place in Ravenna during October 24-25 under the organization of Risposte Turismo.

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