New course: Aalborg drops cruise ships

For 15 years, Port of Aalborg and VisitAalborg/Destination NORD have worked to attract cruise ships to the “Paris of the North.”

But that is now over.

This was announced by the director of Destination NORD, Tonny Skovsted Thorup.

In the future, cruise tourism will no longer be prioritized, but instead, the focus will be on business tourism.

“We have made a good effort to establish Aalborg as a cruise destination, but times change, and we see greater potential in business tourism,” Tonny writes on his Facebook profile.

“Cruise guests have only a short time in Aalborg, typically 5-6 hours, resulting in an average expenditure of 4-500 DKK per day per guest.

Additionally, the inlet to the Aalborg fjord is narrow and not very deep, meaning we cannot receive the largest ships like they can in Skagen.”

Focusing on business tourists

In contrast to cruise tourism, Tonny sees greater value in business tourism.

“Business guests who come for conferences and larger meetings contribute more to the city’s economy with a daily expenditure of nearly 3,000 DKK. This suits the ‘Paris of the North’ better,” he says.

Aalborg will still receive cruise ships, as many bookings are made several years in advance, and there is a requirement to accept these ships.

However, the reduced efforts since last year have not resulted in complaints from city stakeholders.

“This is a clear signal that the time for cruise efforts in Aalborg has passed. There is more perspective in this type of tourism in Skagen and other places in Denmark,” Tonny concludes.