Tallinna Sadam 2019 Q3 passenger and cargo flows
In Q3 2019, 4.3 million tons of cargo and 3.6 million passengers passed through the ports of the Port of Tallinn. Compared to the same period of the previous year, cargo volume decreased by 22.1% mainly due to the decrease of liquid cargo volume. The number of passengers increased by 3.5% and the number of ship visits by 7.3% to 2290.
According to Valdo Kalm, Chairman of the Management Board of the Port of Tallinn, there is nothing extraordinary about the decline in liquid cargo as it is primarily due to the general decline in market demand for dark petroleum products. “Competition for liquid cargo continues to be very high, with liquid cargo handling being a project-based business and quarterly volumes are therefore volatile. The drop in liquid cargo was partly offset by the strong 30% growth in dry bulk, ”Kalm explained.
The number of passengers increased in the third quarter mainly due to Tallinn-Helsinki and Muuga-Vuosaari routes. In total, passenger traffic between Estonia and Finland increased by 96 thousand passengers or 3.5%.
“The passenger service with vehicles started by Eckerö Line and Tallink in June on the Muuga-Vuosaari route has started very well. Travelers from further afield appreciate the opportunity to travel more cheaply while avoiding congestion in Tallinn and Helsinki. We are also pleased that the number of Finnish travelers has recovered and cruise passengers continue to show great interest in visiting Estonia, ”said Valdo Kalm. The number of cruise passengers visiting Tallinn and Saaremaa reached a record of 641 thousand passengers in 9 months, which is 3000 passengers more than last year. The number of passengers on the Stockholm and St. Petersburg routes fell slightly.
Compared to the previous year, the cargo volume of the first nine months decreased by 8.3% to 14.3 million tons, the number of passengers handled remained the same, ie 8.3 million.