With this week’s visit of the ship Rotterdam, operated by the US cruise line Holland America Line the active cruise season in the port of Riga has come to an end.

According to the data of the Freeport of Riga Authority, 79 624 foreign tourists visited Riga this year while travelling on cruise ships¬¬¬¬¬, marking a 5% increase compared to the previous season. Most of the cruise travelers were from Germany, the USA and the UK – a total of 126 world countries.

During the current cruise season, a new record has been achieved – the highest number of passengers brought so far by one cruise vessel has been registered – these were 3712 tourists who arrived at Riga on August 15 this year with the cruise linerCosta Fascinosa of the Italian company Costa Cruises.

Despite the fact that this year fewer cruise ships called our port compared to last year, this season the number of passengers on board the cruise ships has increased significantly. Last year the ships operated with a 53% of the maximum passenger capacity, while this year they are averaging 88% of their maximum capacity.

During the season, 60 cruise ships were welcomed at the port, six of which visited the Port of Riga for the first time, including two newly built premium class ships – the three-mast cruise ship Sea Cloud Spirit (Sea Cloud Cruises) and the ultra-luxury Silver Dawn (SilverSea Cruises). Ten cruise ships stayed in Riga for two days as part of one visit, while the cruise ship Clio stayed in the port for three days during one of her visits to Riga.

A total of 21 cruise companies’ ships visited the Port of Riga, among them was one cruise ship line – Ambassador Cruise Line from Great Britain – that has not visited Riga before.

It should be noted that, despite the end of the traditional season, two more visits of Viking Line ships are expected in the port this December, bringing Scandinavian tourists to Riga during the Christmas period within the framework of short cruises Stockholm-Riga-Stockholm.

The importance of cruise ships and passengers and their contribution to the Riga economy have also been appreciated by residents of the capital. In June 2023 the research center SKDS conducted a survey and according to its results 85% of Riga residents agree that cruise ships contribute to the economy of Riga and Latvia, 88% believe that cruise tourists increase income for Riga entrepreneurs – cafes, bars, travel agencies, souvenir merchants, etc., while 86% of residents agree that cruise tourists enhance the international recognition of Riga.

According to the survey data, 87% of Riga residents believe that the cruise vessels’ calls are beneficial for the city of Riga, while only 3% believe that they are not. The survey outcomes suggest that 78% of Riga residents believe that the city of Riga should attract even more cruise ships and passengers, while only 2% believe that fewer cruise ships and passengers should be attracted; 12% said it is okay as it is now.

Simultaneously with the conclusion of this season, active work is already underway on the planning of future seasons. At the beginning of September, the Freeport of Riga Authority together with the Riga Tourism and Development Agency (RITA), SIA “Rīgas Pasažieru Osta” and cruise ship servicing companies participated in the cruise industry exhibition “Seatrade Europe” in Hamburg, Germany. Representatives from Latvia presented the Riga offer and met with European and North American cruise operators to discuss cooperation prospects for the coming years.

“Despite the geopolitically demanding situation in the region, we have had a good season. Proof of our competitiveness is both the positive assessment from existing partners, as well as the interest shown by several new flagships of the exclusive niche segment, such as Ritz-Carlton Yachts and Four Seasons Yachts, expressing an intention to include Riga in their travel routes from 2025. The niche cruise segment is characterized by elite class ships, offering more unique, personalized routes as well as the opportunity to dock in a wide variety of ports around the world,” noted Edgars Sūna, Deputy CEO of the Freeport of Riga for Port Development, emphasizing that these niche cruise companies are one of the target segments of the cruise attraction strategy of the Port of Riga.

It is well known that currently there is a prevailing cruise industry trend – international cruise companies are looking for new, attractive cruise ship routes that would replace St. Petersburg, which until the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the main magnet for tourist attraction on Baltic Sea cruises.