Helsinki has appeal. This is reflected in both passenger numbers and feedback. 9.6 million passengers passed through the Port of Helsinki last year. The vast majority took scheduled ferry routes, for which customer satisfaction remained high.

Within this group of 9.6 million travellers, there is a smaller yet growing segment that plays a significant role in the development of tourism: international cruise passengers. More than 175,000 international cruise passengers docked in Helsinki last year, which is over 25 per cent more than in the previous year. They are an important part of Helsinki’s maritime vibe and the city’s international brand.

This growing number of cruise passengers, coupled with Helsinki’s appeal as a destination, is placing more and more focus on how long visitors stay in the city.

This year, Helsinki will welcome 15 turnaround vessels, eight of which will be large cruise ships carrying several thousand passengers. Helsinki is more frequently serving as a turnaround port, that is, a place where all of the ship’s passengers will either begin or end their cruise. When your trip either starts or ends in Helsinki, you won’t just make a quick pitstop – you’ll stay for a night or two, so you’ll have time to see and experience more.

“15 turnaround cruise ships will call at Helsinki this year.”

When travellers stay longer, they use services, need accommodation and see much more of the city than a tourist who just pops in for a few hours. The positive impacts of tourism will then extend more broadly throughout the city.

A turnaround port needs to provide a very well-coordinated package. Passengers will notice this in practice: how well-connected the harbour is, whether it’s easy to find a taxi or other transportation, and how effortlessly they can find things to do in the city if they have limited time.

We have a lot of strengths on our side. The cruise season is longer these days: international cruise traffic will once again run from March to the end of December. Helsinki is also a clean, compact and well-run city whose unique archipelago is accessible even to those who will only be staying for a short while.

Smooth transport and easily accessible attractions (such as cultural sites, coastal routes and local experiences) create a package that holds its own – even when compared internationally.

The appeal is there, and so are the prerequisites for success: the next step is to determine how effectively this potential can be translated into sustained growth.