English
Though the Freeport of Riga is known as an important cargo handling and logistics hub, during the last decade, it has managed to significantly increase the number of passengers served at the port. Since 2010, this number has grown by almost a quarter.
In 2019, the Port of Riga repeated its 2018 record by serving 870 thousand passengers, who arrived via Tallink ferry line from Riga to Stockholm, as well as on numerous cruise ships touring the Baltic Sea. Most passengers or approximately 90% came via Tallink ferries. In 2019 at the Port of Riga, Tallink serviced 800,000 passengers, increasing its 2018 total by 3,400, which is an absolute record for the line.
In 2019, the Port of Riga received 81 cruise ship, which brought 69,200 passengers from all regions of the world to Riga. The active cruise season started at the end of April and lasted until October, when the last three cruise ships arrived. In 2019, tourists from 121 counties visited Riga. Traditionally, most arrived from Germany, the US and the UK. It is interesting to note that the share of Australian tourists increased the most in 2019.
According to current data, this year even more cruise ships will arrive at the Port of Riga, bringing even more cruise passengers. So far, 84 cruise ships have signalled their intent to dock at the Port of Riga during the next cruise season, three ships more than the previous year. And another positive trend - these ships will be much larger. We expect 17 ships that are able to carry more than 2,000 passengers. At this point, it is estimated that at least 85,000 tourists will visit Riga by sea, 23 % more than in 2019.
When a cruise ship enters a port for the first time, it is always an occasion to celebrate. During the 2019 season, seven cruise ships made their maiden voyage to the Port of Riga, and during 2020, we expect nine new ships. Cruise ships such as the Mein Schiff 1 and Costa Favolosa, each able to carry more than 3,000 passengers, have already indicated that they plan to come to Riga.
