Saranda continues to welcome visitors even in October. This Wednesday, the cruise ship “Seabourn Quest” docked at the city’s port with 446 passengers on board, another sign that tourist traffic has not ended with the formal close of summer.
The cruise ship arrived from Brindisi
The tourist vessel “Seabourn Quest” arrived in Saranda from Brindisi, Italy, and according to schedule will depart on Wednesday afternoon for Zakynthos, Greece.
Its presence at the port brings a concentrated flow of visitors in a single day, while the city remains active even in the first weeks of autumn.
Tourists from several continents
On board were tourists from various countries, including Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Peru, Zimbabwe, Serbia and South Africa.
The wide geographic spread of the visitors shows the international profile of cruise travel, even though the stay in Saranda remains short and tied to the ship’s daily itinerary.
Main stops: the city, Butrint and the Blue Eye
During their stay in Saranda, the tourists are expected to visit the city, Butrint National Park and the Blue Eye, three of the most frequented destinations in the south.
These stops remain the core of the tourism package for visitors disembarking from cruise ships, with a focus on the area’s nature and cultural heritage.
The Port of Saranda and the season’s figures
According to reported data, with the arrival of “Seabourn Quest” the number of vessels docked this season at the Port of Saranda has reached 62, while 27 of them are tourist cruise ships.
The official version presents Saranda as one of the main entry points for foreign visitors during the season, linking this to its geographic position, proximity to Corfu, and the city’s natural and cultural offerings.
The flow of cruise ships has kept tourist movement alive in Saranda even beyond the height of summer, while the port remains an important hub for the entry of visitors to the south of the country.
It remains to be seen how much these arrivals translate into real benefit for the local economy, beyond the figures often used to promote the season.