East European ports hit by 2014 drop in visitors and spending

Frankfurt

EUROPEAN cruise destinations such as Santorini, Lisbon and Oslo suffered dwindling visitor numbers and spending last year for the first time in a decade as Americans cancelled trips to the Baltic and Mediterranean over geopolitical concerns.

Visits to European ports of call were down 7 per cent after almost 9 per cent growth a year earlier, a report issued by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) on Thursday showed.