Tobago welcomes over 100,000 cruise passengers this season, marks 110% surge in arrivals

Trinidad and Tobago: In a significant development, the island of Tobago saw an estimated 102,516 cruise ship passenger arrivals during the cruise season 2023-2024. The season ended on April 21 this year and marked a whopping 110% increase in the number of arrivals as compared to the last season.The Division of Tourism of Tobago recognized the achievement as exciting news for Tobago, saying that such an increase has never been recorded in history.The cruise season 2023-24 started on November 11 in Scarborough with the arrival of the luxury cruise Celebrity Silhouette and the super yacht SeaDream II marked the final departure from the port of Charlotteville. According to the reports, the destination received a total of 64 cruise calls from 15 different cruise lines. This also shows a 60% increase over the 40 calls received during the last season and a significant 166% increase on the 24 calls of the 2019 cruise season. Also, Tobago received seven new cruise ships which came to the island on their maiden calls during the 2023 season. These cruise ships included the Norwegian Sky, Celebrity Silhouette, Jewel of the Seas, Silver Shadow, Marella Voyager, Zuiderdam and the Seven Seas Splendour. [caption id="attachment_71415" align="aligncenter" width="100%"] Zaandam and Seven Seas Splendour docked in Tobago (PC - Facebook)[/caption]Following the reveal of data, the Tourism Division noted that the increased number of calls has undoubtedly had a positive impact on the tourism revenue. Hundreds and thousands of passengers toured the island and experienced the sceneic beached, natural attractions and historical sites. It is to be noted that the season remained crime-free, with zero accidents or incidents reported by any cruise visitor, showing the highest level of safety in the island nation.The Secretary of DOTCAT, Councillor Tashia Burris, expressed her utmost gratitude to the stakeholders for their hard work and continuous dedication to delivering quality experiences to the visitors and making the season a huge success. She also reiterated her commitment and her team’s dedication to the growth of the tourism industry for the benefit of all the island’s residents and also expressed her hope for future successful seasons as the destination continues to grow.