– I have seen tourists return with bags from the Vinmonopolet. Harbor captain Karl Danielsen in Kristiansand sees a steady stream of tourists on their way back to “Costa Firenze”. In the last two days, he has received two ships with a total of 11,000 passengers. It’s as if the whole town of Mandal should have stopped by. STILL CRUISING: – We travel once a year, or at least every two years, says Jessica Hartmann from Germany, who visited Kristiansand with her family Christian, Fabian and Henrietta. Photo: eirik damsgaard / news 5.5 million passenger visits in light summer clothes, with google maps at hand and sensible shoes. The industry association Cruise Norway can only state that. It teems in Norwegian cities and towns. – 2023 will without a doubt be an “all time high”, says managing director Inge Tangerås. In mid-August, forecasts for the whole year show a total of 3,847 cruise calls with around 5.5 million passengers (counted every time the ship calls at a port/location, editor’s note), according to figures from the Coastal Administration and Cruise Norway. The increase could thus end up being 29 per cent more passenger visits than last year. NEW HEIGHTS: – Norway is popular, says Inge Tangerås in Cruise Norway. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news The boom has several causes. The first half of last year was sluggish and still characterized by the pandemic. After that, the number of guests began to rise on each boat. While the value of the krone went the other way. – Also, part of the traffic in the Baltic Sea has moved to Norway because of the Ukraine war, says Tangerås. 60 percent up in northern Norway’s largest cruise port, Bergen, is expecting a record year with 722,000 passengers throughout the year, according to TV 2. The North Cape region port IKS, with Nordkapp, Lebesby and Porsanger, states that they expect 168 calls. This represents an increase of 60 per cent compared to five years ago. In Kristiansand, 40-50 cruise calls were the norm before covid. After the pandemic, nothing is as normal. Kristiansand will end up with around 130 calls and a quarter of a million passengers, 20 per cent more than last year. MOST: Ålesund was at its peak at the start of August with over 400,000 passengers. Then come Bergen, Stavanger, Haugesund, Olden, Geiranger and Kristiansand. Photo: Hans Olav Landsverk Prepare for winter visitors – Norway has become more attractive. We have a historically low krone and tourism is working purposefully, says harbor captain Danielsen in Kristiansand, who now hopes the ships will spread throughout the year. And his prayers are heard. Kristiansand has booked nine ships in January, February and March 2024. ACCEPTANCE: Karl Danielsen has bookings for 120-130 cruise visits annually in 2024 and 2025 in Kristiansand. Photo: EIRIK DAMSGAARD / news – We are investing in more bollards on the quay, so that the boats are also safe in winter, says Danielsen. Because the Norwegian cruise season is getting longer. The number of calls in the four “shoulder months” of March, April, September and October shows an increase from 262 in 2017 to over 800 last year and this year. MILLIONS: Cruise ships will provide 5.5 million passenger visits to Norwegian ports, according to 2023 estimates from the Norwegian Coastal Administration and Cruise Norway. Photo: eirik damsgaard / news Emission rules on consultation In recent years, the climate footprint has cast shadows over the cruise industry. The Storting decided in 2018 that the world heritage fjords in Western Norway must be emission-free from 2026. In July, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate submitted a proposal for regulations for consultation with a deadline of 3 October. The cruise boom has led to demands that the brakes be pulled. Many have advocated stricter requirements for the use of fuel and shore power. The MDG goes the farthest, which says no to fossil-fueled cruise traffic. SPRING AND AUTUMN: Over the past five years, Norwegian cruise ports have more than doubled traffic in the four months of March, April, September and October. Photo: eirik damsgaard / no
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– We see tourists with polar bags – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
