Twelve years of growth for the cruise industry in Chania with 1.5 million passengers

In 2022 the cruise industry in Chania developed in a dynamic way, adding positive elements to the very good picture of the tourist season for the region.
The cruise season will formally end with the arrival on 31 December of the last ship for 2022, but the best year since 2019 in the last seven years has already been recorded.

Twelve years on the upswing

By the end of 2022 , the cruise industry in Chania completes a very important 12-year course that, with the exception of the pandemic and some years that were characterized as transitional, brought about 1.5 million passengers with 875 cruise ships. In particular, the passengers were 1,856,422

One of the most important elements that evaluates speaking to the AP-MPA the president of the Port Fund Chania Dimitris Virirakis, is the approach to Souda ships with high occupancy and carrying capacity, and the decision of new companies to include Chania, in the cruise programs.

The cruise season for 2022 «opened» in Chania in March with two ship arrivals and continued with increasing trends, while October turned out to be the month with the most arrivals of ships and passengers, due to the emergency call of ships in the port of Souda, while there were also calls of ships in the Venetian port of the city. In total we had 121 ship arrivals, with 179,700 passengers.

«October was the »champion" in terms of arrivals with 23 ships and 38,710 passengers.

Ships in the Venetian port

In addition to Souda, 11 ship calls were recorded at the Venetian port of the city with 3,907 passengers.
«The year shows the dynamics of cruising in Chania,» commented the AP-MPA the president of the Port Fund of Chania, Dimitris Virirakis.

The cruise from 2010 until today in Chania

According to data from the Hellenic Ports Union in 2021 in Chania, recorded 76 arrivals with 45,619 passengers, in 2020 just 10 arrivals with 105 passengers, in 2019 had recorded 132 arrivals with 265,956 passengers.

In 2018, 78 ships with 139,944 passengers arrived in Souda, while in 2017 the number of ships was 84 and the number of passengers was 128,067.

In 2016, 86 ships with 147,915 passengers arrived, in 2015 there were 59 arrivals and 96,612 passengers, in 2014 there were 30 ships with 33,304 passengers, in 2013 47 ships with 124,205 passengers, in 2012 54 ships with 129,087 passengers, in 2011 72 ships with 158,118 passengers and in 2010 21 ships with 11,059 passengers.