Madeira named ‘Europe’s Best Cruise Destination 2022’ in online vote
Between January and October 2022, the archipelago's ports received 227 vessels in port and more than 250,000 passengers.
Madeira has been elected ‘Europe’s Best Cruise Destination 2022’ in a vote organised by the World Cruise Awards – an offshoot of the World Travel Awards – having been nominated for the first time, while the title of ‘Europe’s Best Cruise Terminal’ went to Lisbon’s main facility.
“Madeira is the big winner of the World Cruise Awards in the category of ”Europe’s Best Cruise Destination’,” said the region’s Secretariat of Economy in a statement, adding that “this was the first time that the autonomous region was nominated, in a spontaneous way, by organisers of the competition.”
According to Madeira’s government, the basis for this award was the “continuous work developed over the past few years” by the region’s port authority, APRAM, above all during the pandemic, “which required constant reinvention and adaptation to meet new market demands.”
A new slogan ‘Your Safe Port’ was created and disseminated in 2021 and the focus strengthened on a close relationship with the various shipping companies and other partners in the sector.
“The good results are demonstrated by the port calls achieved this year, which show that Madeira is a consolidated and recognised destination,” the government’s note stresses.
Between January and October 2022, the archipelago’s ports received 227 vessels in port and more than 250,000 passengers.
In 2021, in total for the year, there were 125 port calls and 117,289 passenger movements recorded.
“In addition to all these measures, the strong investment made in the Port of Funchal, worth more than six million euros, which allowed, for example, the construction of the new terminal on pier six, the replacement of the mooring bollards of the south pier, along with the strengthening of the protective mantle of the port of Funchal,” adds the government’s note.
As the Secretary of Economy notes, the distinction “recognises, rewards and celebrates excellence in the global cruise industry.”
Quoted in the text, the economy secretary, Rui Barreto, highlights the “recognition of the work done in the region in recent years in favour of cruise tourism, which has allowed Madeira to occupy a prominent place at a national level in terms of the number of port calls, as well as passengers.”
He recalls that “the Port of Funchal was the first port to open at a national level after Covid to receive cruise ships, after meeting all the conditions in terms of equipment and infrastructure, to ensure that it was a safe port of entry.”
For her part, the chair of APRAM’s board of directors, Paula Cabaço, also quoted in the statement, said that “this distinction is a great pride, reflecting the success of the new strategy undertaken by the Ports of Madeira following Covid.”
She stressed that the measures adopted made it possible “to rebuild the confidence of cruise tourists, stimulating demand and keeping the region at the top of the European cruise tourism preferences.
“This distinction will certainly bring quite positive fruits for the future ahead,” she concludes.
The World Cruise Awards were organised for the first time last year. As with the World Travel Awards, voting is by members of the public and by people working in the industry.
In the World Travel Awards, which were created in 1993 and which are viewed as the ‘Tourism Oscars’, Madeira has won the award “Europe’s Best Island Destination” eight times and “World’s Best Island Destination” seven times.
