The Regional Statistics Office of Madeira (DREM), in the statistical indicators related to the Sea for the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM), released today, reports that the number of passengers in transit reached a new record in Madeira last year.

In this regard, DREM points out that this activity has positive effects on trade, restaurants, transportation, shipping agencies, and other businesses. According to the latest Tourism Satellite Account for 2019, cruise ship passengers spent more than €35.8 million in the region.

“After a period of stability from the early years of autonomy until the late 1990s, and following the strong growth of the cruise sector in Europe from that point onwards, the number of ships calling at the region began to increase significantly, as did the number of passengers in transit,” it points out. This growth, as he points out, was not linear, with some years seeing declines, but the last year, 2024, was a record year for passengers in transit (716,800).

The maximum number of stopovers was reached in 2012 (339). Knowing that in 1976 the number of passengers in transit was only 88,300, it is clear how important this segment has become for the Autonomous Region of Madeira. DREM also recalls the “dizzying drop” seen in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, even so, with only about two and a half months of activity, the number of passengers in transit (143,200) was higher than that recorded in any of the first 21 years of autonomy.

In the last year available (2024), 316 cruise ships (+37 compared to 2023) entered the ports of the Autonomous Region of the Atlantic Islands, with 716,800 passengers in transit (+16.4% compared to 2023), figures that are basically the result of activity in the first and last quarters of that year.

Bruna Nóbrega is a journalist for Jornal da Madeira.