Cruise Baltic Project welcomes new members:

Göteborg, one of Sweden’s most established cruise ship harbours

With a 20 year track record of working within the cruise industry, 15-20 dockings and 12-15,000 cruise ship passengers a year, Gothenburg is one of Sweden’s most established cruise ship destinations.

Regarding Gothenburg’s decision to become a member of the network, Åsa Burman, vice president of the Port of Gothenburg AB, comments:

 - Participation in the Cruise Baltic Project gives us an important quality stamp, so that the different cruise companies know that we fufill the requirements that are important for them. We expect, of course, to gain a stronger profile when the region is presented. As well as this it will be interesting to exchange experiences with the other towns and harbours in the network and receive guidance about what our joint priorities are now.

Ever since Gothenburg was founded in 1621, by King Gustav II Adolf, the city has held a strategically important role as the gateway to the Baltic and the North Sea. The city remains one of Sweden’s most important towns both for shipping and as a passenger harbour.

Mariehamn, a destination in the Finnish archipelago

Between Stockholm and Helsinki lie the Åland Islands. The Islands’ central and strategic location in the heart of the Baltic Sea has made them an attractive prize for various nations in the region since the 14th century. Today Åland is an autonomous region of Finland. Mariehamn is the capital of some 6,500 islands and their 26,000 residents. Mariehamn is a comparatively young cruise destination but, with an increase from five dockings in 2000 to 28 in 2005, demand is steadily growing. Mariehamn has chosen Cruise Baltic Project to promote itself as a destination more directly.

- We have been in the network since January and we can already see how important it is for us to be a part of a project that unites an entire region like the Baltic and creates a very attractive product for the international cruise ship industry. It is extremely important to participate in a joint effort that gives added value for cruise ship passengers, says Anna-Lena Fiskars, marketing manager of the Åland Tourism Board.

Rønne, capital of the island with the most sun in Denmark
Rønne is the capital of the scenic Danish island Bornholm, which lies between Denmark and Sweden. The town is perfectly placed in relation to the attractions on the island which gets the most hours of sun of anywhere in Denmark. Because the island is not particularly large, its beautiful countryside and historic sights, like the round church at Østerlars and the castle ruins at Hammershus, are just a half hour away. Each year Rønne welcomes 36 cruise ships and 19,000 passengers to its harbour. From here they can enjoy the many attractions on the island. Rønne Harbour has chosen to join the Cruise Baltic Project to focus attention on Rønne and Bornholm as a cruise ship destination.

 - By participating in Cruise Baltic Project we will be able to develop the cooperation we have with Cruise Europe to attract dockings to our region. At the same time this shared support and branding, the fact that we can market ourselves together with the others in the project, is very attractive for a smaller destination like Rønne, says Hans Kümler, director of Rønne Harbour.