Commercial traffic in Sardinian ports is growing. The 2023 data released by the AdSP (Port System Authority) of the Sardinian Sea says so: passengers, goods on road vehicles and cruise passengers are increasing, while negative numbers are recorded for raw materials.
As regards passengers, from the sum of the numbers of the main commercial ports of the island (Cagliari, Olbia, Porto Torres, Golfo Aranci and Arbatax), equal to approximately 5 million 326 thousand units, there is an increase of 7 percent compared to 2022. Same growth percentage also for traffic on routes shorter than 20 miles (Santa Teresa and Portovesme), which amounted to just under 883 thousand passengers.
In the cruise market there is a doubling on the numbers for 2022.
While the minus sign concerns the handling of bulk cargo: in detail, the volume of liquid tonnes (mainly incoming crude oil and outgoing refined oil) is reduced by 7 percent and solid ones by 27 percent.
The decline in imports of grain, feed and coal is weighing on the decline. Raw materials that have been most affected by the blockage of trade with the main suppliers of Eastern Europe and Asia: Ukraine and Russia.
The export of quarry materials and minerals is also slowing down, going from around 1 million and 700 thousand tonnes in 2022 to just over 1 million and 250 thousand in 2023.
However, the data relating to goods transported by road is positive, with an increase of 3 percent compared to the previous year, growing by approximately 365 thousand tonnes compared to the 12 million and 241 thousand in 2022.
«The movement of containers in the Canal Port of Cagliari is contracting, but still vital – the AdSP reports – and is suffering the effects of a constant global crisis in the sector, further aggravated by the recent tensions in the Suez Canal».
«Despite the international crisis scenario that has affected and, unfortunately, continues to affect maritime transport, the ports of the Sardinia system continue to maintain the route – comments Massimo Deiana, president of the AdSP of the Sea of Sardinia – 2023 was, overall, a record year for the coaster sector. Starting from passenger traffic which, also thanks to the growth on minor routes, has well exceeded 6 million units, accompanied by the movement of goods by road which grows by a further 3 percent, reaching over 12 million and 605 thousand tonnes. Even more exciting is that of cruises, with a 97 percent jump compared to an already positive 2022. The only negative note, which unfortunately ignores the Authority's commitment to stimulating the market, is that of bulk cargo, heavily penalized by international tensions in Eastern Europe and today even more exacerbated by new outbreaks of tension on strategic routes such as the Red Sea".
(Unioneonline/ss)
