Growing Number of Cruise Ships Visiting the Adriatic

Official sources indicate that July 2008 as well as the first seven months in 2008 show an ongoing trend regarding the growing number of foreign cruise ships visiting the Croatian Adriatic Sea. This includes also a growing number of passengers who have chosen to visit Croatia in that way as compared to the same period in 2007.

July 2008 registered a 30% increase in foreign cruises (total of 109) as compared to July 2007. At the same time, the number of passengers on those ships amounted up to 127 600, i.e. 26 000 passengers more than in the same month last year.

Taking in consideration the first seven months in 2008, the number of foreign cruises in the Croatian Adriatic Sea amounted up to 100 (plus by 34,3%) as compared to the same period last year (ports of first entrance within the territorial sea of Croatia).

Travelling on cruise ships Croatia was visited by almost 450 000 tourists (plus by 41% over 2007), while the number of days spent in the country increased by 67% over the same period in 2007, reaching a total of 844 days.

The total number of foreign cruises including January till the end of July were mostly organized during May (105), June (110) and July (109), which shows a clear growth as compared to the same period in 2007 (plus by 30%). The total number of cruise passengers in that time amounted up to 380 000.

As far as ports go, the Croatian port most often visited by cruise ships during the mentioned period was the port of Dubrovnik (342 visits) followed by Split (97) and Korčula (76). Good results were also achieved by the ports of Zadar (45), Hvar (36), Pula (36) and the port of the Island of Mljet (29).

The cruise ships which visited Croatia till the end of July 2008 were mostly sailing under the flags of the Bahamas (71), Malta (58), Italy (55) and Panama (41). 

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