Baltic ports: regional meeting

The Baltic ports regional meeting at the Cruise Europe conference in Reykjavik underlined that ports are becoming central actors in shaping the future of cruise tourism. "Their role as facilitators, coordinators, communicators and bridge-builders between stakeholders is more important than ever," explains Sirle Arro, chair of the Baltic region and head of marketing and communications at the Port of Tallinn.

"With transparent communication, responsible growth, and continued investment in sustainable solutions, ports can help ensure that cruise tourism remains a positive contributor to the Baltic region's economy, identity, and international visibility," she adds.

Discussion took place about the role of ports in cruise tourism and how it has changed significantly. Ports are no longer only infrastructure providers or arrival points for ships. Increasingly, they act as the main facilitators and coordinators of cruise tourism in their destinations, bringing together municipalities, tourism organisations, local businesses, transport providers, politicians, communities and cruiselines.

Across the region, cruises are seen not only as a tourism product, but also as a tool for destination marketing, local business development and broader regional visibility.

One of the strongest messages from the Baltic meeting was that public perception of cruise tourism is generally positive, not only from communities recognising the benefit but also from the local media and politicians in several ports, particularly where the cruise sector is clearly linked to economic activity, infrastructure development, and destination branding.

Turnaround operations, in particular, create additional value through hotel stays, airport use, transport services, provisioning, and new customer flows. Ports noted that cruise passengers can help extend the tourism season, support businesses outside peak holiday periods and introduce visitors to places they may later return to independently.

The Baltic region is also investing in the future. Several ports are planning for larger ships, longer seasons, and more calls in the coming years. At the same time, investments in sustainability are becoming increasingly important. Onshore power supply, alternative fuels such as bio-methane and bio-LNG bunkering options, green energy solutions and cooperation around environmental performance are central to the sector's development.

This positive outlook, however, is not without its challenges, such as the common issue of capacity. As ships become larger and call numbers increase, ports and cities must manage traffic, passenger flows, events taking place at the same time, construction works, and limited space in urban areas. In some destinations, the availability of buses, guides, and other transport services is becoming a practical constraint.

Another key challenge is responsibility and coordination. In some destinations, it is not always clear who should take the lead on cruise-related matters: the port, the city, tourism organisations, local businesses or municipal authorities. This is where the role of ports has become especially important in connecting different stakeholders, sharing information, supporting destination readiness, coordinating operational issues and helping to ensure that cruise tourism creates value for the whole community.

The discussion made it clear that successful cruise development depends not only on ships and quays, but also on trust, cooperation and shared responsibility at destination level.

Public perception also requires continuous work. Several ports emphasised the importance of proactive communication. Sharing information with locals about upcoming calls, explaining what cruise tourism brings to the community, working with local media, and educating stakeholders can help build trust. Articles, brochures, public information, and close cooperation with local operators can all contribute to a more balanced understanding of the sector.

The meeting also showed that the Baltic region is not one single cruise market, but a network of destinations at different stages of development. Some ports already handle high call volumes and are preparing for further growth. Others are smaller or emerging cruise destinations, using cruise as a marketing tool and aiming to increase awareness. There is also growing interest in year-round cruising, winter calls and new destinations around the Baltic Sea.

Looking ahead, the region's opportunities are clear. Cruiselines are asking for new destinations, seasons are expanding, infrastructure is improving and communities in many places remain positive. At the same time, the sector must continue to address sustainability, capacity, local engagement, and competitiveness.