Record cruise tourists visit Barcelona over weekend

A record number of passengers from cruise ships visited Barcelona over the past weekend as 58,110 people disembarked at the port to spend a day in the city, confirmed the Barcelona Port Authority on Monday.

14 different liners berthed in the city over Saturday and Sunday, one of which the Allure of the Seas has a capacity for 6,300 passengers and has a total length of 362 meters.

The new record for visitor numbers comes a week after the Port Authority and the University of Barcelona published a study which shows the economic impact these cruise ships have in the city, with the visitors contributing 800 million euros (around 900 million U.S. dollars) in 2014 and helping to create around 7,000 full time jobs.

The president of Barcelona Port, Sixte Cambra commented in the El Pais newspaper that the "cruise sector generates investment and jobs and that in turn creates growth and stability," adding that the port wanted to create capacity for even more liners.

This view contrasts with that of recently elected city Mayor, Ada Colau, who has spoken of the need to limit tourist numbers. Colau is worried that the massive influx of visitors is responsible for many negative effects, such as increased house and restaurant prices, noise levels and also crime levels.

Some famous sites in the city have already started to take measures to limit overcrowding with the 'Mercado de la Boqueria' in the famous 'Ramblas' placing a strict limit on the numbers of organized tour groups visiting the market. Endit