On October 18th, a press-conference on the development of cruise tourism potential in the Northwest and the 2016 navigation results of “Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg “Marine Façade” PLC has taken place at the press center of TASS news agency.
Commercial Director of “Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg “Marine Façade” PLC Alexey Panfilov summed up the results of summer navigation 2016 at Passenger port of St. Petersburg, informed about the results of the claimed annual budget fulfillment of the company and the investment projects realization. Mr. Panfilov also noted about the expected substantial increase of calls of cruise vessels and passenger traffic in 2017, which is going to be a record in the history of the Port operation.
Saint Petersburg Committee for Tourism Development Chairman, Andrey Mushkarev, highlighted the importance of cruise tourism for St. Petersburg, which shows positive dynamics of annual growth around the world and in the Baltic region in particular. Mr. Mushkarev has especially allocated the fact of the growing trend for the development of marine tourism and the positive impact of Passenger port of St. Petersburg which is the leader of the Russian cruise industry and its developed infrastructure meets the highest international standards
Mr. Mushkarev also gave a positive assessment to the works on the check point state boundary reconstruction which are carried out at Passenger port of St. Petersburg. It will enable to organise calls of cargo-and-passenger ferry vessels to the Port on a regular year-round basis which thereby will increase the attractiveness of Saint-Petersburg as a tourist center of the Baltic region and will improve the company's financial performance.
The St. Petersburg State Institution “External Transport Agency” director Aleksandra Bakhmutskaya noted that the further development of Passenger port of St. Petersburg infrastructure seems relevant in light of the possible transfer of a ferry connection from JSC “Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg” to “Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg “Marine Façade” PLC when the works on the check point retrofit will be completed.