Ports of Stockholm is one of the world’s largest passenger ports and one of Sweden’s largest freight ports. During 2021, passenger and freight volumes were still high in the middle of the pandemic, according to the company's release.
The important transport of goods via Ports of Stockholm’s ports has functioned very well throughout the pandemic. In 2021, the RoRo freight segment increased six percent compared to the previous year. The Port of Kapellskär is the port in the Group where growth is strongest, with freight handling up 13 percent compared to the previous year.
As a result of good collaborations to facilitate a safe and cautious restart, with what were termed Blue cruises and Bubble cruises, Ports of Stockholm welcomed 96 cruise ship calls. This was more than many other ports in Europe.
Ferry services were impacted by restrictions and services were paused on some routes. Services restarted again at the end of the summer, including routes to Helsinki and Tallinn. Total passenger numbers didn't reach the previous high pre-pandemic volumes, but under the circumstances there were still many travelling, significantly more than in 2020.
In total 4.7 million cruise and ferry passengers travelled via Ports of Stockholm in 2021.
In 2021, Ports of Stockholm welcomed a brand new route between the Port of Nynäshamn and Rostock, operated by Hansa Destinations. Stena Line is also investing in the Baltic Sea and introduced new, larger vessels on their Stockholm Norvik Port - Ventspils route.
New vessels and routes, together with increased freight volumes and high passenger numbers, all demonstrate that Ports of Stockholm’s ports are central nodes for sustainable goods transport in the Greater Stockholm region, and that Stockholm has a strong power of attraction as a destination.