Cargo, Estonia, Good for Business, Port

The number of ship calls grew by 3.7% to 2039 calls, Tallinna Sadam told the stock exchange. The number of passengers increased in the second quarter mainly due to the Tallinn-Helsinki route.

Valdo Kalm, chairman of the management board of Tallinna Sadam, said that the increase in cargo volume in the second quarter was mostly affected by the growth of dry bulk, mainly due to the launch of new dry bulk cargo terminal by PK Terminal.

"We managed to keep the liquid bulk volume at the same level as in the previous year, which is a remarkable achievement in the context of continuing strong competition," Kalm said.

"We have observed a continued increase in the number of tourists from Asia and other third countries between Tallinn and Helsinki, which has had a positive effect on our passenger numbers. We hope that the joint efforts of Tallinna Sadam, Enterprise Estonia, shippers and other tourism organizations targeting Finland will prove successful, and Finns' interest in travelling to Estonia will be restored, too," Kalm said.

In the first half of the year, Tallinna Sadam was able to reduce the minus, which was caused by the disadvantages of many passenger ships staying off the line due to scheduled maintenance in the first quarter.

At the end of June, Eckero Line vessel MS Finbo Cargo started operating on the Muuga-Vuosaari route, serving both trucks and passengers with vehicles. Also, Tallink started to serve passengers with vehicles with its vessel Sea Wind already operating on the route. The Muuga-Vuosaari route offers a more affordable alternative and also provides a more convenient link for passengers from outside of Tallinn and Estonia.

Cargo volume of Tallinna Sadam in the first half of the year decreased 0.8% and number of passengers 2.7%.