A new passenger terminal was officially opened on April 24 at Zadar Cruise Port.

The President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, attended the event, along with more than 200 distinguished guests.

That terminal was the opening act to a strong season, with passenger numbers set to rise to an estimated 180,000, said Robert Škifić, general manager for the port.

Global Ports Holding, the world’s largest independent cruise port operator, has operated Zadar Cruise Port since September 2018. The new Zadar terminal building extends over 18,000 square meters on two floors, according to a statement.

Emre Sayin, CEO of Global Ports Holding, said: “Last year we were very pleased when Zadar Cruise Port joined our global network of 15 cruise ports. The opening of the new passenger terminal marks the next step in the development of Zadar as an exciting and important cruise destination and we are delighted to collaborate closely with the officials in Zadar and the Croatian government in this endeavor. We look forward to bringing our operational and commercial expertise to Zadar.”

Škifić said he was focused on a sustainable business model, both for turnarounds and transit calls, and moving the port away from the heavily congested peninsula was key to that.

“The port itself has unique features,” he said. “It is only 3.5 kilometers away from the city center, still close enough, but far enough away to provide relief from heavy crowds and excessive traffic.”

Zadar was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2017, also helping to build the Croatian city’s profile.

“As for green port requirements, we not only meet them in terms of waste management, we also promote the use of bicycles and electric scooters,” said Škifić. “In addition, we have been seriously considering the use of alternative fuels. We are also focused on the fulfilling requirements needed for the safe supply of ships with LNG.

“We see Zadar as a quite successful turnaround port, attractive to ships in transit as well.”