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Cruise visitors to Spanish ports up a tad in first half 2017

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Canary Islands, Spain's leading cruise destination, just ahead of Barcelona
Puertos del Estado, the national government authority for the country's major ports, announced first half 2017 cruise visitors showing a micro-gain of 1.74% compared to the same time last year with a total of 3,621,857 passengers aboard 1,737 port calls, up 5.2%.

No surprise that Barcelona leads the passenger numbers, with 1,041,016 cruisers, a modest 2.3% gain, carried aboard 317 vessel calls, up 7.5%, but just a whisker behind the Balearics.

Totals there were 754,616 pax, a 3.5% gain, aboard league-leading 321 port calls, a brisk 11.9% growth.

The inversion of passenger numbers and port call rankings shows clearly the impact of mega-ships at Barcelona.

Between these two port authorities, 1,795,632 passengers amounted to nearly half of the total for all of Spain.

Next in line stood Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with 562,627 pax, a 7.2% decrease on 254 port calls, down by 4.5%, but standing third in both categories.

Number four, again by both yardsticks, Santa Cruz de Tenerife came fourth, with 398,221 passengers, an 11.1% dip, aboard 237 calls, down 5.2%.

These declines notwithstanding, the Canary Islands' combined passenger total, 1,152,837, would make the islands Spain's leading cruise destination, slightly ahead of Barcelona.

Moreover, the top four port authorities accounted for some 81.4% of all Spanish cruise traffic, and the others shared 18.6%.

Málaga stood fifth in both categories, with 201,904 passengers, a smart 18.3% rebound, aboard 125 port calls, up 22.5%.

Valencia was number six in passengers, counting 148,964, up 7%, on 72 port calls, exactly even with last year, but only seventh ranking.

The Bay of Cádiz stood seventh in passengers, 137,872, a 4.7% gain, while holding sixth position with 115 port calls, up 2.7%.

Eighth-ranking both ways, Cartagena chalked up a notable 42.7% passenger growth, to 91,801, aboard a 23.9% jump in port calls, to 57.

In ninth position came A Coruña, moving smartly along with a 57.5% increase to 74,762 passengers aboard a 26.2% gain to 53 port calls.

Tenth place fell to Vigo, with 71,028 passengers, down 6.5%, on 33 port calls, a 13.2% drop.