Cruise tourism generates 290 million euros every year in the Balearic Islands
Palma de Mallorca
27/10/2015
Cruise tourism generates an estimate income of 290 million euros every year in the Balearic Islands, including direct, indirect and derived income, contributing to the economy of the Islands with 146.46 million euros of gross value added and creating 2.879 jobs, of which 1.867 would be direct jobs. These are data of 2011 (updated with data of the GDP of December 2013) from a study led by the department of Economy and Business of the Confederation of Business Associations of the Balearic Islands (CAEB) in collaboration with the Port Authority of Balearic Islands (APB) and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) and which underscores the important contribution of the harbours in the development of the cities and in the revitalization of the economic activity and the creation of jobs. In 2011 the volume of cruise passengers was of 1,6 million. It is estimated that with a global average stay of 1.49 days per tourist, a direct annual expenditure of 180.33 million euros is generated, which represents an average annual expenditure per passenger of 112.09 euros. In Majorca the average expenditure is higher than in the rest of islands, as a third part of the cruises depart from or arrive at Majorca. By sectors, the greatest part of the expenditure done by cruise tourists goes to the commercial sector: 99.60 million euros, that is, a 55.3%. The rest of the expenditure is divided between travel agencies, bars and restaurants, road transport or accommodation for extra stay. In October, only in Palma, more than 90 cruises will have called at Palma harbour. During the next low season –between November and March- similar numbers are expected, which are slightly higher than those registered during the same period last year. Farewell in Palma to the cruise Island Escape. Palma farewells today the cruise Island Escape, of the company Island Cruises. With 427 calls, it is the second cruise with the most calls at Palma since its first visit on the 19th of March 2002. Today it has done its last call at the Majorcan harbour before being broken up. The president of the APB, Joan Gual de Torrella, has paid tribute to the cruise and its crew, to which he has given a photo of the Island Escape with the Bellver Castle at the background. This way Gual has expressed the gratitude of the APB to “a symbol of fidelity to Palma’s harbour which has extraordinarily contributed with the consolidation of the Balearic Islands as one of the main cruise destinations of the world”. Economic Impact of the State Harbours in the Balearic Islands
