By
Laura Hyde |
The British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA) is celebrating after official cruise ship manifests confirmed it welcomed 720,392 passengers in 2023, a 110 per cent increase from 2022. This figure breaks the previous record of 699,105 passengers set in 2016.
The territory welcomed a total of 354 cruise calls in 2023, compared to 263 in 2022, and a further 122 anchorage calls across the territory. It experienced a surge in visits from smaller, luxury cruise vessels throughout 2023 and helped facilitate a notable rise in calls to its sister islands in the archipelago, according to the port authority.
“The record-breaking cruise passenger arrivals in 2023 demonstrates the BVIPA’s commitment to operational excellence, maritime efficiency and strategic collaboration with local and international cruise stakeholders,” said Akeem Pickering, managing director of BVIPA. “Our facilities, dedicated team and industry relationships have played a pivotal role in accommodating the increased traffic, demonstrating our capability to handle the demands of a thriving cruise industry.”