Port operator Global expects rise in cruise passengers

PORTO - Anadolu Agency

Global Ports Holding, the world’s leading port operator, added the Lisbon Cruise Terminal to its international network back in 2014.

Global Ports Holding, the world’s leading port operator, forecasts a 20 percent rise in cruise passenger numbers this year in Lisbon, the head of the company has said.

Chief Executive Officer Emre Sayın said Lisbon Cruise Terminal, which joined the company’s portfolio in 2014, attracted nearly 570,000 passengers last year.

“We expect passenger numbers, which showed a successful performance, to rise 20 percent in 2020,” Sayın added.

Global Ports completed and put its Lisbon investment into action in 2017, he stated.

“We constructed a terminal building with a 14-square-meter indoor area additional to the dock of 1.5 kilometers,” Sayın said.

Underlying that Lisbon, Portugal is an important tourism capital, he said the company targets improving the infrastructure of the ports it operates, increasing passenger numbers and bettering customer satisfaction.

The “iconic” cruise terminal building has won a number of awards, including one for “Best Rehabilitation Urban project,” he recalled.

“Lisbon Cruise Port has been named Europe’s leading cruise port for the fourth time in a row thanks to its services and improving passenger satisfaction,” he said.

“As a result, the number of cruise passengers has increased by more than 10 percent since the investment was put into use.”
Sayın underlined that the company will develop the port’s infrastructure as the number of ships and passengers it serves increases.

“We are interested in other ports and destinations in Portugal and want to apply the same model, which we think is very successful,” he stressed.

Global Ports Holding is the world’s largest cruise port operator with an established presence in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Atlantic and Asia-Pacific regions, including extensive commercial port operations in Turkey and Montenegro. It operates 21 ports in 13 countries, including two commercial and 19 cruise ports.

The company targets to grow fivefold in the coming two years while focusing on the Caribbean and Southeast Asia along with seeking opportunities in Portugal.