Port of Tallinn handled 8.3 million passengers last year

TALLINN - In 2025, a total of 8.3 million passengers passed through the harbors of the Port of Tallinn, an increase of one percent compared to the previous year.

The largest growth was seen in the number of cruise ship visits and cruise passengers. Regular ferry routes are also becoming increasingly popular among travelers from long-haul markets.

The Tallinn-Helsinki route saw the highest number of passengers, at 7.3 million. Compared to the previous year, passenger numbers on this route increased by 1.3 percent. Three ferry operators - Tallink, Viking Line, and Eckerö Line - serviced the route between Tallinn and Helsinki with a total of seven vessels. The most popular ship on the route was Eckerö Line’s Finlandia, which was chosen by 26 percent of all passengers.

Finnish citizens accounted for half, nearly 3.6 million, of the trips between Tallinn and Helsinki, while Estonian passengers made up a quarter. Compared to the previous year, the total number of Finnish travelers on the route remained stable, but the age demographic shifted: more passengers were aged 15-35, and fewer were aged 55-75. Among Estonians, travel between the two neighboring capitals increased for teenagers and retirees but decreased for younger adults, resulting in an overall lower number of trips by Estonians compared to the previous year.

Ferry travel between Tallinn and Helsinki is becoming increasingly popular among passengers from more distant countries, such as China, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. For instance, the number of passengers from China surpassed 90,000, a 56 percent increase from the previous year. This growth is likely due to tourists arriving in Helsinki by plane who wish to enhance their travel experience, for which a day trip to Tallinn provides an excellent opportunity.

The other ferry route between Estonia and Finland, the Muuga-Vuosaari line, served 195,000 passengers in 2025. Of these, 25 percent were Finnish citizens and 23 percent were Estonian. While the passenger count remained stable compared to the previous year, it is a positive development that, in addition to truck drivers from Estonia and neighboring countries, the route's convenience has been discovered by travelers needing to go beyond the two capitals. The vehicle occupancy on the line is very high, and the Port of Tallinn is actively seeking to increase capacity, either by adding another vessel or a new operator.

The passenger and cargo route between Paldiski South Harbour and Kapellskär saw a remarkable 46 percent year-on-year increase in passenger numbers. This growth was driven by ferry operator Tallink's decision to use the Superfast IX, a significantly more comfortable vessel for passengers, on the route. Two-thirds of the passengers on this line were Estonians, with their numbers increasing by 30 percent. However, the shorter sea journey between Sweden and Estonia has also been discovered by citizens of Sweden and other countries.

The Tallinn-Stockholm route carried 495,000 passengers in 2025, a 12 percent decrease from the previous year. The primary reason for this decline was Tallink's decision to operate the route year-round with a single vessel, the Baltic Queen, instead of two. On this route, 38 percent of passengers were Estonian and 30 percent were Swedish citizens. Demographically, the line was particularly popular among school-aged youth from both nations. While the number of passengers from Estonia and Sweden fell compared to the previous year, the share of travelers from Poland, China, and Japan increased.

In 2025, Tallinn received a total of 118 cruise ship calls, 18 more than the previous year. Of the nearly 190,000 cruise tourists, 44 percent were German citizens, 27 percent were from the United States, and 14 percent were from the United Kingdom. The number of cruise tourists from the United States doubled, arrivals from Germany increased by a quarter, and those from the United Kingdom rose by five percent. A total of 50 different cruise ships visited Tallinn, with 11 of them making their maiden call.

Cruise ships called at Tallinn's Old City Harbour from April to December, with the peak in July, which saw 33 visits. In 2025, the port handled significantly more winter cruises and passengers; in November and December, cruise ships docked in Tallinn on five occasions, bringing 15,588 tourists to the capital during the winter season. In addition to the extended season, ships stayed overnight in Tallinn 15 times. Positive signs include increased participation in organized excursions and growing interest in visiting attractions outside the capital. Encouraged by high vessel occupancy rates, cruise lines are considering deploying additional ships to the Baltic Sea in the future.

Last year, the Port of Saaremaa received seven visits from six different cruise ships, bringing 1,203 passengers to the island. The majority of these visitors were from the United States, with others arriving from France, Canada, and Germany.

Global tourism trends suggest that an increasing number of tourists will find their way to Estonia, and it is expected that passenger growth will continue in both regular ferry and cruise traffic in 2026.

Key figures and statistics for the Port of Tallinn are available on its website.