Cruise Atlantic Islands (CAI) recorded its highest-ever passenger traffic in 2024, surpassing four million passengers for the first time, according to a press release. 

The organization welcomed 4,179,673 passengers, a 25.52 percent increase from the previous year’s 3,329,821. Ship calls also rose from 1,609 in 2023 to 2,043 in 2024.

CAI is the collective brand of the International Association of Ports of the Macaronesian Islands, representing the ports of the Azores, Canary Islands (Las Palmas and Tenerife), Cape Verde, and Madeira. The record-breaking growth was driven by two key factors: ongoing promotional efforts to position the region as a key cruise destination and the addition of the Azores to CAI in 2023, contributing 152,155 passengers and 175 ship calls.

Excluding the Azores, CAI still saw significant growth, with a 20.95% increase in passengers (4,027,518) and a 16.09 percent rise in ship calls (1,868). The 2024 figures also surpassed pre-pandemic levels, exceeding the three-million-passenger milestone first reached in 2019.

Founded in 1994 by the ports of Madeira and the Canary Islands, CAI expanded to include Cape Verde in 2006 and the Azores in 2023. The association now represents a market of 4.2 million cruise passengers, positioning Macaronesian ports as a competitive and distinct cruise destination.