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The port is estimated to suffer around 0.8 million. and the city will not receive nearly 2 million euros. euro income
Kristina Gontier, Head of International Relations and Protocol at the Port Authority’s Marketing Department, says the pandemic has particularly affected cruise tourism, so a breakthrough should not be expected this year.
“It was supposed to be the biggest season in terms of passengers, the number of arrivals, as well as the longest and record season, but it happened as it happened, it certainly won’t be, and how many of those ships will arrive: two, three, four, or maybe neither. The situation is very dynamic, “K. Gontier told BNS.
According to her, according to preliminary data, several small cruise ships and expedition ships are expected to arrive from Germany in early September.
According to K. Gontier, representatives of the cruise business are actively interested in the possibility of arriving with small ships with a capacity of 100-200 passengers, but not only seaports, but also airports and hotels should be open for this purpose.
“It just caught our eye then. There are so many components that must work in harmony. Travelers’ confidence must be restored, their flow must be homogeneous, not everyone’s, their safety on board must be guaranteed, airlines must operate at the port of embarkation and hotels, supplies must be insured, food, fuel, no one must get stuck, and ports must be open, because if a cruise ship cannot offer an interesting port, then passengers are not interested “He said.
Expect recovery next year
Klaipeda port has already booked 52 ships for the upcoming season, so if there is no second wave of coronavirus, it is expected that the cruise business will recover in a year.
“I have to talk to partners, cruise associations, that is 70 percent. All cruise passengers are loyal to lovers of this sector, so if they have not had the opportunity to travel this year, they postpone their trips for the next year. “The high number of reserves next year shows that this sector should recover quickly,” said K. Gontier.
A port spokeswoman also says that even with the second wave of the coronavirus, cruises could head to safer countries in the Baltic Sea region.
“It is very likely that some of the cruises from safer or potentially unsafe regions that could be unsafe during the second wave will be diverted to the Baltic and North Sea region as we have the situation under control in both Estonia and Latvia “said K. Gontier.
The European Union authority responsible for maritime safety is currently preparing specific recommendations for ports and cruises, which should ensure the safe recovery of this shipment, which will be presented next week.
Klaipeda expects to receive more local tourists in the summer
Romena Savickienė, director of the Klaipėda Tourism and Culture Information Center, says that the failed cruise season will bring losses not only to Klaipėda, but also to the whole of Lithuania, but this year more local tourists are expected to go on vacation to her country.
“We hope to have more, because this year is exceptional, most of them will be traveling to Lithuania, we can clearly see that the number of people in Klaipeda and the entire Lithuanian coast increases on weekends, and the weather is especially grateful.” It felt like people were coming from all over Lithuania, ”says R.Savickienė to BNS.
“On the other hand, we have to admit that we are not a tourist city, most people choose Palanga and Neringa, but we want to remember that Klaipeda also has beaches and for everyone’s needs,” he added.
According to the head of the center, the opening of the Baltic borders has also increased the number of tourists from neighboring countries. However, according to R. Savickienė, it is difficult to predict how many tourists the city will receive this year, as a lot of last minute trips are planned, and the weather also affects.
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