Madeira received the award for Best European Cruise Destination for the second year running, at the third edition of the World Cruise Awards, which took place on Sunday in Dubai, it was announced today.
In a statement, Portos da Madeira indicates that, over the course of three editions, Portugal has always been awarded, since, after Lisbon’s victory in 2021, Madeira was distinguished twice.
In addition to Madeira, the list of nominations included Athens, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Lisbon, London, Monte Carlo, Nice, Oslo and Rome.
The Regional Secretary of Economy, who oversees the ports of Madeira, was proud of the distinction.
“This distinction is a source of great pride for us, and for the region, reflecting the success of the strategy carried out by the Regional Government of Madeira, through APRAM, SA, rebuilding the confidence of cruise tourists, stimulating demand and maintaining region at the top of international cruise tourism preferences”, stated Rui Barreto, quoted in the note.
In the opinion of the government official, the award is “a stimulus and recognition” of the work that has been done by agents in the sector.
“It is also a prize for Madeirans who eagerly follow the presence of cruise tourism in our region, especially at times like the end of the year, when records for visits and stays are traditionally broken”, highlighted Rui Barreto.
The World Cruise Awards were awarded for the first time in 2021. The event is considered a ‘sister’ of the World Travel Awards, created in 1993 and presented as the “tourism Oscars”, in which Madeira has already won the award for Best Island Destination in Europe 9 times and, seven times, the Best Island Destination in the World.
According to official data, the ports of Madeira registered a movement of 557,824 passengers in the 2022/2023 season (compared to 284,056 in the previous season), which represents a growth of 104% compared to the same period last year.
From September 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023, the average number of passengers per ship stood at 1,949, an increase of 109% compared to 931 in the 2021/2022 season.