The Cruise Executive Committee Meets to Review the 2024 Season and Forecasts for 2025
The 2024 season closed with a record number of passengers and calls, and a new milestone is expected this year with the arrival of 65 cruise ships.
The destination met or exceeded the expectations of 89% of passengers who responded to the survey conducted by EURECAT.
Passenger spending increased by 27% in 2024.
The Cruise Executive Committee met on Friday, April 4, to officially close the 2024 season and analyze forecasts for the 2025 season, which began this week. Last year saw record-breaking numbers of calls and passengers, with 63 arrivals and a total of 136,850 passengers. For 2025, a total of 65 calls are scheduled —two more than the previous year, setting a new record— bringing around 120,000 cruise passengers to the region.
The meeting also served to present the results of the passenger satisfaction survey conducted by EURECAT. Of those surveyed, 89% stated that the destination met or even exceeded their expectations. Another key finding of the survey was the 27% increase in passenger spending.
2024 Season Review
One of the main objectives of the Cruise Executive Committee meeting was to review the 2024 season. With 63 calls and 136,850 passengers, last season broke all records achieved to date.
The Committee highlighted that the 19% increase in passenger arrivals demonstrates the appeal of the destination, thanks to a diversified offering that includes heritage, gastronomy, and leisure.
Positive assessment of the destination and the terminal
The Cruise Executive Committee meeting also presented the results of the satisfaction survey conducted by EURECAT. The study showed the positive evaluation that respondents gave both to the destination and to the new Tarragona Cruise Port terminal, inaugurated last June.
In this regard, 89.2% of respondents stated that the destination met or exceeded their expectations. As for the terminal, it received a score of 9.1, highlighting the qualitative leap achieved with the construction of this facility, which has marked a turning point for the cruise project in the region.
Increased spending and commitment to the region
Another conclusion from the EURECAT satisfaction survey was the 27.5% increase in spending. In 2023, cruise passengers spent an average of €17.6 at the destination, while in 2024 this figure rose to €22.5, representing a significant increase in the economic impact of cruise activity across the territory.
As for activities carried out by visitors after disembarking, 87% explored on their own, 10% joined local excursions, and only 3% booked an excursion to Barcelona. Regarding excursions booked in Costa Daurada, 61% of surveyed passengers chose to visit Tarragona, 21% went to PortAventura, and 10% visited Poblet. Other excursions included beaches, wineries, and Reus. All excursions received excellent evaluations, with an average score of 9.3 out of 10.
The EURECAT study also provided a breakdown of passenger nationalities, based on absolute figures. Notably, Spanish, Italian, and French passengers accounted for two-thirds of the total. The remaining third was made up mainly of passengers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other countries.
New record of calls for 2025
The members of the Institutional Cruise Committee also analyzed the forecasts for the new season, which opened last Wednesday, April 2, with the arrival of La Belle des Océans. A total of 65 calls are scheduled at Port Tarragona this year. This means two more arrivals than last year, and a new record for ship calls is expected.
In total, 32 different ships will dock at the Balears Wharf this season, 16 of them for the first time.
As for passenger forecasts, around 120,000 cruise passengers are expected to pass through the Balears Wharf and the Tarragona Cruise Port terminal, a figure in line with recent years. This projection confirms the sustainable growth trend pursued by Port Tarragona, Tarragona Cruise Port, and the region, represented in the Committee, for more than 10 years.
It should be noted that the forecasts for calls and passengers in 2025 remain far from the volumes reached by the major cruise ports in the Mediterranean.
Participants in the Committee
This new meeting of the Institutional Cruise Committee was attended by the president and director of the Tourist Board of the Provincial Council of Tarragona, Carlos Brull and Marta Farrero; the Councilor for Economic Promotion and Tourism and First Deputy Mayor of Tarragona City Council, Montse Adan; the manager of the City Promotion Agency ‘Reus Promoció’, Marta Vilalta; the Councilor for Tourism and the tourism officer of Vila-seca City Council, Lluïsa Clavé and Roser Dalmau; the president and general manager of the Tarragona Chamber of Commerce, Laura Roigé and Daniel Martín; the general manager of PortAventura, Fernando Aldecoa; the director of Tarragona Cruise Port, Alba Colet; and the president of the Port Authority of Tarragona, Santiago J. Castellà.
