By
Rebecca Gibson |
Gotland has already secured calls from more than 40 cruise ships and 60,000 passengers in 2018.
Tourism organisation Region Gotland has been working with Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) authority to ensure Gotland is equipped to handle this rise in cruise traffic.
The rise has been attributed to the fact that 2018 marks the first year cruise ships will be able to combine a call in Gotland with a visit to a new 3,000sqm terminal and 530m cruise quay in Visby, Sweden.
Constructed by Danish firm Aarsleff, Visby’s new cruise facility will open in spring 2018 and will be able to accommodate two 340m cruise ships simultaneously.
“The shipping companies seem to be very positive about Visby and Gotland as a cruise destination and the possibility of calling at Visby is making the cruise routes in the Baltic more attractive,” said Arnt Møller Pedersen, head of cruise traffic at CMP. “So far, we already have over 40 confirmed bookings for the 2018 cruise season, which means over 60,000 passengers, and reservations are continuing to come in. It is great that CMP, with our long experience of developing cruise ports, is contributing to developing Gotland as a destination.”
Both Region Gotland and CMP aim to eventually attract 150 cruise calls per year and representatives from Region Gotland, CMP and local businesses recently met to discuss the opportunities and challenges for 2018.
“We are delighted to already have so many cruise ships booked in,” said Stefan Persson, Region Gotland’s enterprise manager. “It is an exciting challenge to receive several thousand visitors at one time, and it is simultaneously a great opportunity to be good hosts and to display Gotland from its best side.”