'Cruise Baltic is very pleased to report that a record-breaking number of cruise guests are visiting the Baltic region,' director Claus Bødker said.
'Furthermore, we had a growth in both calls and turnarounds. The positive developments are caused by our high guest satisfaction level which comes from the fantastic service provided in all member ports. Our guests love the well-functioning infrastructure and the high intensity of ports that makes it possible for them to visit several capitals in a one-week cruise, where they can experience local authentic cultures but where the locals all speak English.'
The record number of Baltic cruisers in 2017 is a 16.6% spike compared to 2016. On average, visitor numbers have been growing 9.7% since 2000, going from a total of 1.1m visitors to the approximately 5m last year.
The Baltic also experienced growth in calls (15.4%) and turnarounds (3.9%) from the prior year.
'The positive development does not end here as we estimate that we in 2018, will be breaking visitor records yet again with another 8.4% rise, meaning an increase of 1.2m guests since 2016,' Bødker remarked.
Thirty-seven cruise lines and 80 ships called at the 29 Cruise Baltic member destinations last year.
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