A evolução da actividade de cruzeiros marítimos e o desenvolvimento das condições de recepção em Portugal

A remarkable growth in maritime cruises has been witnessed worldwide. Being an activity that is in significant expansion, it is strongly linked to the reorganization of supply, mainly at the level of companies, ships and cruise routes. Equally important are the spatial effects, resulting from the expansion of routes, diversification of the ports of origin, destination or stopover, and from the extension of this activity to regions that until recently were excluded from tourist cruise routes. As a result, between 1999 and 2009, the number of cruise passengers more than doubled, from 7.8 million to 16.4 million passengers. Despite these developments, several authors consider that the growth potential of this sector of tourism is still great. In Portugal, cruises have also grown significantly. Considering the evolution of cruise demands, the present article intends to discuss the changes in the key markets in the areas where cruise tourists come and in the main destination areas (regions and cruise ports) and in the structure of this business worldwide. Using this as a starting point, a deep analysis is made regarding the panorama of the national ports, highlighting the positioning of the Port of Lisbon.