Cruise tourism creates new opportunities for Gotland

Interest in Visby and Gotland as a cruise destination continues to grow. At the same time, a new member survey conducted by Visby Centrum shows that cruise visitors make a clear economic contribution to the local business community.

Cruise traffic in the Baltic Sea is developing positively, and Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) is seeing growing interest from both established cruise lines and new operators. Bookings for 2027 and 2028 are stronger than they were at the corresponding point ahead of 2026.

In Visby Centrum’s member survey, 62 per cent of the 63 businesses that responded stated that cruise visitors have some degree of positive economic impact on their business.

“It is encouraging to see that cruise visitors have such a clear economic significance for many of our members. The results show that cruise tourism generates a tangible flow of customers and creates economic opportunities for the local business community,” says Anja Hård, Manager, Visby Centrum AB.

The number of booked cruise calls during autumn, winter and spring is steadily increasing in the coming years.

“The growing interest in Gotland and the increasing number of booked calls across a greater part of the year bode well for the future. Together with our partners, we want to continue developing Gotland as a cruise destination, increase the value of each visit and create opportunities for more businesses across the island,” says Magnus Olsson, Cruise Commercial Manager, Copenhagen Malmö Port.

“For Gotland’s tourism industry, the opportunity to extend the season is extremely important. The growing interest in cruises during autumn, winter and spring creates opportunities for more businesses to benefit from tourism over a greater part of the year. It is also positive if more attractions and businesses outside Visby can benefit from this development,” says Erik Öhrn, Manager, Gotlands Förenade Besöksnäring.

A further seven cruise calls are expected in Visby before the end of the year. On Wednesday, for example, AIDAluna will call at Visby. To create even greater value from cruise tourism in the future, CMP, Visby Centrum and Gotlands Förenade Besöksnäring see opportunities to develop new and unique experiences and excursions across Gotland.

For further information, please contact:
Magnus Olsson, Cruise Commercial Manager, Copenhagen Malmö Port
E-mail: magnus.olsson@cmport.com, Phone: +46 (0) 702-81 15 60

Anja Hård, Manager, Visby Centrum AB
E-mail: anja.hard@visbycentrum.se, Phone: +46 (0) 705-54 43 14

Erik Öhrn, Manager, Gotlands Förenade Besöksnäring
E-mail: erik@gotlandsbesoksnaring.se, Phone: +46 (0) 767-76 52 22