NIT and PORT OF KIEL present cruise survey
18 Apr 2024 17:40 Shipping News
On Wednesday, the PORT OF KIEL, together with the Institute for Tourism and Spa Research in Northern Europe (NIT), will present a survey of cruise passengers and crew members commissioned by the port in 2023. A total of 1,092 passengers and 396 crew members were interviewed at Kiel's cruise terminals between July and September 2o23. The results of the survey underline the great economic importance of cruise tourism for the Kiel region.
"When 48 per cent of passengers say they want to return to Kiel in the next three years, this is an important signal for our city. With our plans for a more attractive city centre and the Kiellinie, we want to increase this willingness to return even further. Because Kiel is always worth a visit," says Kiel's Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer.
"Kiel gives us a good geographical starting position - but the passenger record in 2023 and the high regional economic added value for Kiel are above all the result of our long-standing investment strategy in the cruise business and the growing partnerships with the shipping companies," says Dirk Claus, "the high level of satisfaction among guests and crew shows that we are doing a lot right".
Added value for Kiel - and the region
The study concludes that the state capital generates a total turnover of €29 million from passengers and crew. 95 per cent of the total turnover is accounted for by passenger spending and 5 per cent by crew spending. While the crew's expenditure is exclusively attributable to day trips ashore in Kiel, the passengers' expenditure is made up of day trips (36 per cent), parking bookings during the cruise (32 per cent) and hotel bookings before and after the cruise (32 per cent). With 155,000 overnight stays before and after the cruise each year, cruise passengers account for 14 per cent of total overnight stays in Kiel. Although the spending patterns and amounts spent by stopover and cruise passengers differ, the main activities are sightseeing, eating out and retail. For crew members, shopping is also one of the most popular activities on land, along with eating out in the city. For them, the city centre location of the terminals is particularly advantageous. The crew spends €57.80 per person on shore leave, which is more than the passengers' daily spending of €14.40.
PORT OF KIEL with top marks
In total, SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG has invested around 90 million euros in the port infrastructure in recent years, including berths, terminal buildings and shore power infrastructure. This is paying off: A total of 89 per cent of passengers said they were satisfied or very satisfied with Kiel's terminals. The city centre location is also perceived positively. With a strong focus on turnaround business for the major European cruise lines, the majority of cruise passengers start and end their journey in Kiel. More than a third (34 per cent) of passengers travelling to Kiel arrive by train. The car is the dominant mode of transport (51 per cent). The main reason for not travelling by train was the lack of reliability. However, those who did travel by train were generally satisfied with the quality of the journey. Overall, the survey results show positive feedback for the port: 48% plan to return to Kiel in the next three years. "We are delighted that Kiel and our port have received such a positive assessment," says Claus, "a good starting point for the coming seasons".
After the busiest season in 2022 and a record number of passengers in the 2023 season, the Port of Kiel has recently experienced significant growth in the cruise sector. It is one of the largest cruise ports in the North Sea and Baltic region.
PORT OF KIEL and the Institute for Tourism and Spa Research in Northern Europe (NIT) present a cruise passenger and crew survey.
