A good proposal on cruises

The Danish Ports Association has praised the Danish government for today's proposal "Closer - Green cities and a developing capital", which continues to work on steadily improving air quality in Denmark.

"I am very, very pleased that the Government's proposal recognizes the value of cruise tourism for Denmark and at the same time shows sustainable ways forward", says Tine Kirk, Director of the Danish Ports Association, which represents Danish commercial ports.

"We have several ports in Denmark for which cruises - before Corona - had become a thriving business that, in addition to being beneficial to the ports, also contributed significantly to tourism in the cities around the ports. Copenhagen naturally accounts for the absolute lion's share, about 70 percent, of the cruise calls, but cities such as Aarhus, Fredericia and Skagen had come along well. So well, in fact, that these cities are investing in cruise tourism", says Tine Kirk.

However, the coronavirus pandemic and repeated lockdowns in Denmark put an abrupt end to the growing cruise tourism industry and the corresponding growth in turnover in the cities from spring last year. It is estimated that the cruise industry in Denmark generates a direct turnover of DKK 1.25 billion and generates no fewer than 2,400 jobs across Denmark, many of them unskilled. The industry has not really taken off again, and this has hit hard in all affected Danish cruise cities, though hardest in Copenhagen, where the capital's growing status on the cruise tourism world map in a normal cruise year - pre-Corona - results in about 300,000 hotel nights in Copenhagen, mainly because the city has become the start or end city for many cruise routes.

For several years, there have been political wishes for cruise ships to be able to connect to shore power - that is, green electricity from an electrical socket in the harbor - when they are docked, rather than, as today, letting the diesel engines run to keep the small floating village's many facilities running; everything from lights, heating and toilets to shops and restaurants to the bridge.

"Danske Havne is therefore also positive that the government, in addition to recognizing the great economic and employment importance of this branch of tourism for many, specifically proposes a legislative amendment so that the municipality of Copenhagen can co-finance shore power plants. It would really move the green transition in this area if the port, which has so far received 7 out of every 10 cruise ships to Denmark, could offer green electricity to replace black diesel," says Tine Kirk. She adds that a number of Danish ports have been working with shore power for several years as part of their offensive work on green transition, Aarhus has already established shore power for regular ferry routes and Copenhagen is on its way.

Tine Kirk also welcomes the fact that the government in the proposal proposes continued tax exemption for other ships that are docked and use shore power.