The Regional Government of Madeira insists on extending the main pier in the bay of Funchal and moving forward with a new model of port management, with the concession of some services. The announcement was made by the Regional Secretary for the Economy, José Manuel Rodrigues, at the opening ceremony of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) European Summit 2026, which takes place this week in Funchal.
In front of more than 400 sector professionals, the minister said, “that the Madeiran Executive maintains his ambition f extending the main pier in the bay of Funchal, to accommodate both larger and a larger number of ships, and to concession some services of the ports of the Region, following the strategy already applied to the Marina of Funchal and the Marina of Porto Santo.”
The announcement comes at a time of significant growth in cruise tourism on the island. In 2025, Madeira recorded “the best performance ever,” with more than one million passengers disembarking in 331 stopovers – an increase of 2.42% compared to 2024 and almost 19.5% compared to 2023. The economic impact is estimated at around 63 million euros, according to a study by ACIF – Commercial and Industrial Association of Funchal.
Among the data highlighted by José Manuel Rodrigues, the growth in stays stands out: “The number of overnight stays increased by 17% compared to 2024, reaching 122 nights, with emphasis on passengers who stayed in Funchal, a number that rose by 30.8%, to 172,396 passengers.” Cruises starting or ending in Funchal (turnarounds) reached 31, “a growth of almost 41%, consolidating Funchal as a strategic port not only for stopovers, but also for the beginning and end of itineraries.”
The positive trend continued at the start of 2026. In January, there were 41 stopovers and 113,210 passengers, “which represents a growth of 26.27% compared to January 2025,” with 39,143 crew members passing through the Region, “translating into an increase of 13.89% compared to the previous year.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Photo: JM
The event, organized in partnership with the Administration of Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM), brings together executives from the largest cruise companies, European and national policy makers and entities linked to tourism and the economy of the sea in Funchal. On the agenda are topics such as sustainable growth, connectivity and the role of the sector in the framework of European transport, tourism and climate policy. At the national level, the data presented at the forum indicate that cruise tourism generated an economic impact of 940 million euros in Portugal in 2024, secured 9,800 jobs and paid more than 225 million euros in salaries.
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