Port of Koper welcomes its 1,000th cruise ship
Koper, 8 September - The Norwegian Pearl anchored in Koper on Sunday as the 1000th cruise ship to sail into the port since it embraced cruise tourism in 2005. Nevenka Kržan, CEO of port operator Luka Koper, said on this occasion that construction of a new passenger terminal will start in November and should be completed next spring to be ready for next season.
Koper
The Norwegian Pearl arrives in the port of Koper as the 1000th cruise ships since 2005, when the port opened to cruise tourism.
Photo: Megafon TV/STA
The new facility has been designed to serve both cruise tourists and locals, Kržan said as quoted by Luka Koper in a statement.
"It will open out to the sea and the city and will surely soon become a new modern meeting point for locals. We've already obtained the building permit, and construction work will start at the beginning of November."
Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Pearl was welcomed by key players in the development of cruise tourism in Slovenia.
Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Andrej Rajh labelled its arrival as a milestone which confirms that Koper is developing into an important cruise industry centre.
"The port of Koper is not only a gateway to Slovenia, it also reflects our commitment to progress and development. This new investment reinforces our commitment to keeping the port open, accessible and welcoming to all who visit," he said.
Maja Pak Olaj, head of the Slovenian Tourist Board, emphasised that Koper, with its nature, cultural heritage, unique experiences, excellent services and the efforts of many stakeholders, has established itself as an attractive destination for cruise tourism.
Since Slovenia wants to develop sustainable and responsible tourism, the country welcomes the commitments of cruise lines to carbon neutrality, she said.
The Norwegian Pearl is the 49th cruise ship to arrive in Koper this season, during which the city has welcomed more than 83,000 passengers so far.
As the municipality of Koper said in March, 75 cruise ships with an estimated 125,000 passengers were expected in Koper this season.
More than a million tourists arrived on board cruise ships since the first big cruise ship, the Minerva II, sailed into Koper with 600 tourists onboard 19 years ago.