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PEI's Charlottetown wraps busy season, forecasts record 2024

Prince Edward Island's Port Charlottetown marked the end of a busy 2023 cruise season and setting its sights on a record-breaking 2024.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

November 6, 2023

2 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

This year saw a return to smooth sailing after three years of instability due to the global pandemic and Hurricane Fiona. Port Charlottetown welcomed 89 calls and 119,488 passengers, marking one of the Island’s biggest seasons ever. 

Visitor numbers nearly at par with pre-pandemic

'We are delighted with the rapid growth of PEI’s cruise industry over the past decade and 2023 was no exception,' said Mike Cochrane, CEO of Port Charlottetown. 'This year marked our largest ship count to date, with 89 calls to port and visitor numbers almost at par with pre-pandemic levels. We’re proud to play a role in the extension of PEI’s tourism season, with ships calling from the end of April until the beginning of November.'

$18.2m direct impact

'Tourism is one of the cornerstones of our province’s economy and the cruise industry is a vital component of that,' said Cory Deagle, minister of fisheries, tourism, sport and culture, who added the direct economic impact of this year’s cruise visitation, which totalled 176,456 including crew, was approximately $18.2m.

'This is proof the cruise sector has fully rebounded and is seeing amazing growth,' Deagle said. 'We anticipate the 2024 season is an even bigger success.'

More than 100 calls forecast

Cochrane forecasts more than 100 cruise ship arrivals in 2024, an unprecedented number for PEI. He said this indicates the Island has established its reputation as a premier cruise destination.

In 2023, the port partnered with business associations and destination marketing organizations to showcase PEI’s cultural offerings, including live music on the waterfront, local shopping, live theatre and other attractions in the city. They also worked with local aquaculture associations to promote Canada’s 'Food Island' to a national audience. 

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About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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