Baltic, Lithuania, Tourism, Transport

During this period, the number of passengers during the various seasons went up from 1.1 to 3.1 million.

In 2010, the number of marine tourists in the Baltic Sea was 1.3% less than in 2009. The decline is the most obvious indicator of the impact of the crisis. Sea cruises are booked in advance. Thus, although the crisis had already begun before 2009, its influence, due to inertia, could not be felt as sharply as in 2010.

In the Baltic Sea region, the most cruise passengers went to the ports of Copenhagen, St Petersburg, Stockholm, Tallinn, and Helsinki. Smaller cruise ports, such as Elsinore, Helsingborg, Kristiansand, Malmo, Marienhamnas, Rostock and Visby received a slightly larger number of passengers last year. Particularly striking increase of marine tourists was last year in Marienhamn, Gdynia, Oslo, Rostock.

Details of Klaipeda port were not included in the Cruise Baltic research. Due to the lack of money to pay the membership fee, Klaipeda did not participate in organization's practices for a few years. According to the Head specialist of International Relations and Tourism Department in Klaipeda City Municipality, Ina Sidlauskiene, the cooperation in Cruise Baltic association is being considered.

"The Association of Cruise Baltic unites 46 partners from 28 cities in ten countries in the Baltic Sea region. For us it is essential for the cruise lines and tourist agencies to mention Klaipeda when presenting the Baltic region", Sidlauskiene assured.

Last year the port was visited by 45 cruise ships, or ten% less than in 2009. However, they arrived carrying a group of 35 thousand marine tourists. It is about 1,600 or five% more than in 2009.

The cruise business anticipates this year with great optimism. The Cruise Baltic Association Director Bo Larsen predicts that in 2011 the number of cruise passengers in the Baltic Sea region should grow by about 12%.

Even 380,000 new passengers are expected, and the total number of passengers in the Baltic Sea region will reach even 3.5 million. Last year, various ports in the Baltic Sea region were docked by cruise ships 2,010 times. It is expected that this year the ships will visit the ports even 2210 times.

"The flow of tourists will also intensify because, compared to 2010, the cruise season in 2011 will elongate for another five weeks. In the Baltic region it begins in early April and ends in late October", stressed Bo Larsen.

Marking the beginning of the season, the meeting of Cruise Baltic Association will take place in March, where, after a lengthy break, Klaipeda City representatives will participate as well.

Preliminary data suggest that this year's cruise season will bring Klaipeda 37 vessels. In Klaipeda the season will start earlier than last year. The first cruise ship Delphin is planned to access Klaipeda on May 3, whereas the first ship that visited last year came on May 17. The last vessel Amadeus will visit Klaipeda on September 25.

This year Klaipeda will welcome two new ships: a 290 meters long cruise ship Costa Pacifica, which is planning to pay three visits; and a 133 m long cruise ship Seabourn Pride, which had been flying in South-East Asian region before, plans to come six times.

A significant loss this year will be the fact that the Spanish cruise line Pullmantur Express ship Empress, which visited Klaipeda port 9 times last year, will no longer come. It is expected that the line will return to Klaipeda in 2012.

In terms of the whole Baltic region, the major event is that the huge MSC Cruises ships MSC Poesia, MSC Orchestra and MSC Opera, which fascinated the American tourists, will visit the Baltic Sea ports 143 times. So far they have not chosen the port of Klaipeda.