The development of the cruise sector is in the development vision of the Freeport of Riga. Its goal is to almost double the number of cruise ships and their passengers, making Riga an important cruise and passenger ferry port in the Baltic Sea.
During 2018, the Port of Riga handled 75 thousand cruise passengers in 2018, and plans to increase this number to almost 160 thousand by 2030. This increase largely depends on the availability of the necessary infrastructure, as the current infrastructure of cruise terminals is insufficient.
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Riga Passenger Terminal’s length of the pier and the territory for the performance of land operations are limiting factors in meeting the increasing demand of cruise ships. In addition, the Krievu Island terminal is not proper for cruise ships because of the long distance from the central part of the city and it is unattractive environment.
Moreover, cargo is leaving the centre of Riga, vacating the place for tourists, with over 600 m long pier, as well as access roads and infrastructure being vacated in Andrejsala and Ekportosta.
With this, cruise passengers will have access to the city centre on the right bank and it gives the port an opportunity to handle the current flow of cruise ships and implement a plan, to make the Port more suitable for cruises.
Edgars Sūna, Deputy Manager for Port Development, mentioned:
To implement this plan, both the port and the entire tourism industry must do their homework. The airport, the railway, the public transport and hospitality companies must cooperate to create the best offer possible
