While cruise tourism is booming around the world, companies are more cautious about visiting the Baltic Sea, said Sirle Arro, marketing and communications manager at the Port of Tallinn. This is due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, war in Ukraine, and economic situation.

"Cruise companies book visits two or three years in advance, but the time we had two or three years ago was still a bit scary. The cruise ships that visited us at that time, their occupancy was significantly lower than expected and maybe they did not dare to book as many visits in the future. But we see that every year more ships are coming to this area, but the ships are smaller than before," she said.

The loss of St Petersburg from Baltic routes has also influenced companies' plans. It used to be possible to visit the Russian city visa-free.

"Unfortunately, cruise companies have traditionally marketed the Baltic Sea cruises precisely because it is possible to visit St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg has been a very good source of income for us in the past, because it has been a source of cheap fuel, it has been a very good source of income for us from tours, because, as you know, to visit St. Petersburg you either have to have a visa or you have to go on an organized tour. Now that source of income has disappeared," Arro explained.

Marketing materials also need to catch up with the new situation.

"People have known the Baltic Sea cruise as an opportunity to visit St. Petersburg in particular. Now it will take time to spread awareness of the region to further away markets. The Baltic Sea region is very diverse. There are also many interesting destinations here – Tallinn, Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Riga. As well as smaller and more exciting destinations like Saaremaa, for example," Arro said.

European tourism has also been affected by the worsening economic situation and EU rules that make cruising around the Baltic Sea region more expensive than elsewhere.

The 2024 season starts on April 25 and approximately 100 ships are expected in Tallinn this year.

"The ships may be smaller, but we expect the occupancy to be close to 100 percent. This year, cruise ships will visit us in October as well, and there are even two Christmas cruises coming. The visits are spread over a longer period," she said.

There are also smaller ships coming to Tallinn that will stop overnight. In July, four ships will visit the capital in one day – the first time for several years.

Seven cruise ships are also expected in Saaremaa, Estonia's biggest island, in July and August.

Popularity remains high amongst German tourists, Arro said.

"Visits from German cruise companies are recovering the fastest. There will certainly be passengers from England, America and France as well. These are the Christmas cruises with the French. The first cruise ship in April will be with the English, but the second with the French," said Arro.

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