November marked a historic milestone for the Port of Funchal in terms of passenger movement. Madeira welcomed 145,232 cruise passengers, a record-breaking figure that surpasses the previous peak of 108,221 passengers set in December last year, according to the Administration of Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, SA).
During the 30 days of November, the region hosted 63 cruise ship calls, one of which was at Porto Santo. This level of activity matches the record from November 2012. At that time, the increased demand for the Port of Funchal was influenced by the geopolitical instability in North Africa due to the social and political unrest linked to the protests known as the ‘Arab Spring.’ However, even then, the number of passengers in November 2012 was significantly lower, totaling 90,327 compared to this year’s record-breaking figure.
In addition to November’s passenger movement, the region also saw substantial activity from crew members. According to a study by ACIF (a local business association), the economic impact of crew members is often comparable to or even greater than that of passengers. Last month, 58,685 crew members passed through the ports of Funchal and Porto Santo, exceeding the 41,685 recorded in November 2022, which was the highest figure up until now. Comparing November 2023 to the same month this year, there has been a remarkable increase across the board: a 50% rise in cruise ship calls and a 57.68% increase in passenger movement.
Last year, Madeira recorded a total of 279 cruise ship calls and achieved its best-ever passengers figures, surpassing 624,000 passengers. This represented a 51% growth compared to the previous year. This year, the record is expected to be broken again, as by November, Madeira had already welcomed 590,969 passengers and 221,391 crew members.
November was also a month of recognition for the Port of Funchal, which received the award for the World’s Best Cruise Terminal for Sustainability from the World Cruise Awards. In the two previous years, 2022 and 2023, Madeira had already been honored by these so-called ‘Cruise Oscars’ with the title of Europe’s Best Cruise Destination.
“It is extremely important for us that these international awards, which recognize the quality of our destination and port infrastructure, continue to be accompanied by these economic results. They represent a significant added value not only for us, as the Port Authority, but also for the entire regional business ecosystem,” emphasized Paula Cabaço, President of APRAM’s Board of Directors. She concluded, “We work for the benefit of the Region.”
