Stockholm finished its cruise season on a high earlier this week, celebrating a record number of ships and passengers having called at the port in 2013, according to a statement.

During the six month cruise season from April to October, 278 ships called in Stockholm, bringing 485,000 passengers to the city.

This represents an increase of 4% on 2012. The port is also gaining a ground as a turnaround port, with 47 ships embarking and disembarking in Stockholm during the season.

Claudia Quas, project manager for the Stockholm Cruise Network, commented: “Cruising is hugely important to Stockholm’s economy so we are delighted to have had such a successful year. We are very proud that our city is a big attraction to many cruisers; in fact, a recent survey showed that 97% of passengers go ashore in Stockholm and spend an average of 5.9 hours on land, compared to a European average of 87% and 4.8 hours. The UK forms a significant part of these numbers, as it is the third largest cruise market for Stockholm, after Germany and the USA.”