Limassol seems to be winning the cruise tourism bet, as 2019 has seen a significant increase in arrivals at the port, with the prospects for 2020 being particularly encouraging. According to the management company DP World Limassol, 2019 arrivals were 40% more than in 2018. This is a remarkable increase, notwithstanding the fact 2018 arrivals were among the lowest ever. A total of 93 arrivals were recorded last year, with the number of tourists traveling to Limassol exceeding 125,000. The aim is to further increase cruise arrivals in 2020, with the company estimating that the number of passengers arriving in Limassol this year will exceed 175,000.
DP has undertaken various partnerships to link Limassol port with Israeli ports, in coordination with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and Limassol Municipality, while participating in various maritime tourism conferences and having contacts with reputable agents to develop relevant cooperation. Cruise tourism is primarily dependent on connectivity with other ports in the area and safety conditions in nearby ports are crucially important. the wider area. Obviously, improving conditions in the area have also contributed to the increase in arrivals.
"We are very excited about the number of cruise ships arriving at Limassol port, as it is a great success, not only for DP World Limassol but for cruise tourism in general," said DP World Limassol Commercial Manager Lazaros Charalambous. "In the last two years," he said, "Limassol has become a very popular cruise destination. This shows that we are one step closer to establishing the port as a major regional cruise center in the Mediterranean."
