For cruise destinations, understanding visitor behaviour is essential. It is not enough to know how many passengers arrive in port. Destinations also need to understand where visitors go, how long they stay, which areas become crowded and which local attractions remain under-discovered. Within PortCREW, this is being addressed through a complementary study based on aggregated geolocation data.
This analysis helps identify the mobility patterns of cruise passengers during a typical port call. The methodology detects non-domestic users first observed in maritime areas and then on land for a limited time window, reflecting the short duration of cruise visits. This allows the project to analyse passenger movement in a way that complements desk research and stakeholder interviews.
In Valencia, the data shows that 73% of non-domestic cruise passengers were detected only within the metropolitan area, while 27% visited other locations in Valencia province or beyond. This finding confirms the strong urban concentration of cruise visits but also highlights the potential to encourage more passengers to explore less crowded, nature-rich destinations in the wider province.
The same data-led approach reveals destination-specific challenges across the pilot sites. In Toulon, around 30% of non-domestic cruise passengers were detected in other locations within the wider PACA analysis area, including Nice, Monaco and Marseille, while 70% remained in the Toulon area. This points to a different challenge: retaining more visitor value locally by making nearby nature-based alternatives more visible and accessible.
In Ravenna, 55% of non-domestic cruise passengers were detected within the metropolitan area, while 45% were identified in other locations within the wider analysis area. This creates a strong baseline for promoting sustainable experiences such as the Po Delta Natural Park and the Adriatic coastal nature areas.
Koper shows another highly actionable pattern. Around 40% of non-domestic cruise passengers were detected in the Dekani–Tinjan–Škofije area, while only 1% were detected in the Marezige–Boršt wine and rural tourism area. This contrast highlights how data can reveal both existing demand and under-promoted opportunities.
In Thessaloniki, the analysis found an almost even split, with 51% of non-domestic cruise passengers detected within the metropolitan area and 49% in other locations across the wider prefecture. This suggests that many visitors are already open to exploring beyond the city centre, creating an opportunity for the platform to guide that interest toward sustainable and less-pressured areas.
For PortCREW, these insights are central to platform design. By understanding where visitors already go, where they do not yet go, and when movements peak during the day, destinations can create better recommendations, improve transport information and support smarter visitor flow management.
