Cruise traffic in Norway on the rise

#NordicNews on ship traffic and Norway

Around 20% more cruise ships in Norwegian ports

Cruise tourism in Norway is experiencing a large increase. In 2022, there were around 20% more calls at Norwegian ports than in 2019.

2022 has been the peak in Norwegian cruise traffic so far. The increase is related to the fact that many shipping companies changed their route from Russia to Norway. For Norwegian shipping, this came as a surprise and presented a logistics challenge.

However, Arve Dimmen, Director of Navigation Technology and Maritime Services at the Norwegian Coastal Administration Kystverket also sees the positive: "The sharp increase came upon us suddenly and posed some challenges to pilotage capacity, but at the same time contributed to a greater knowledge of what changes are needed if further growth in cruise traffic is to continue, including winter cruises. Closer and more structured dialogue with the industry, the development of adapted maritime safety services and greater predictability through clarifications in regulations are some of the measures the Norwegian Coastal Administration is now considering."

Between 2013 and 2022, cruise calls in Norway increased by 1070 more calls and passenger numbers by 990 000 passengers. Bergen was the most popular cruise destination last year with 308 calls, followed by Ålesund and Tromsø. Stavanger recorded the most cruise passengers with around 430 000 arrivals.

More on the cruise statistics of Norway.

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