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In terms of passenger traffic, yachting, cruise ship calls and cruise passengers, the results for 2024 are, in the words of Ernest Brin, Director of Maritime Affairs, "exceptional". In fact, not a single sector is showing a decline. +7.92% more calls than in 2023, +8.63% more passengers on board ships, +6.45% more ferry calls, +10.29% more arriving and departing passengers, +14.31% more cruise ship calls and +4.96% more cruise passengers. All this with the terminal relocated for over five months due to construction work.
Ernest Brin also underlines in his report the obvious benefits of maintaining the two nautical events, the Bucket and the Cata Cup. The Cata Cup kicks off the season in November, bringing sixty crews to the island for the duration of the competition. "These nautical events fully confirm their importance to our island's economy," insists the port manager, while regretting the loss of Les Voiles de Saint-Barth.

Yachting in top form
In the yachting harbor, overall activity was higher than the previous year, with 5,150 ship calls (4.742 in 2023) and 40,002 passengers registered on board (36,551 in 2023), some months were weaker than the previous year. Looking at passenger traffic, this trend was particularly marked in August (-60.61%) and September (-58.60%). On the other hand, the figures for July (+24.82%), October (+18.87%), November (+17.24%) and december (+21.46%) all show an increase in passenger numbers.cember (+21.46%) give a clearer idea of the scale of the influx that overwhelmed Saint-Barth, particularly during the "festive" season.
The number of calls by pleasure craft peaked in the first four months of the year, before following a downward curve until a dramatic upturn in December, with a 22.71% increase in the number of vessels (907 vs. 701 in 2023).

Inter-island traffic
Surprisingly, it is in July and December that the number of passengers in 2024 is lower than in 2023 (18,849 vs. 19,075 in July 2023 and 24,202 vs. 25,812 in December 2023). The biggest increases in passenger numbers were recorded in January 2024 (+ 17.38%, with 25,341 passengers versus 20,935 in 2023), February (+ 34.21%, 25,829 versus 16,993) and June (+ 17.29%, 21,064 versus 17,442).
On the other hand, it is surprising to note two different phenomena in April and December. In April, the number of stopovers fell sharply compared with 2023 (-17.55%, 319 vs. 375), while the number of passengers rose by 5.30% (24,629 vs. 23,322 in 2023). Conversely, in December, the number of stopovers is up sharply (+18.39%, 397 vs. 324 in 2023), while the number of passengers is down (-6.65%).
In 2024, 3,610 ferry calls were recorded. This is a record. 126,428 passengers embarked and 130,225 disembarked. Once again, this was an all-time high. Voyager carried the most passengers (126,992), ahead of Great Bay and Shantiwa (111,353).

Cruisers
After three lean years (2020, 2021 and 2022) and one recovery year (2023), cruise liners returned to the port of Saint-Barth in earnest in 2024. 183 called last year (compared with 157 in 2023). This is obviously still a long way from the record years (204 in 2019 and 207 in 2015), but so much better than in 2020 (63), 2021 (37) or even 2022 (107).
The number of cruise passengers is obviously also up on the previous year: 84,736 in 2024 versus 80,532 in 2023. In 2019, 126,658 tourists traveling aboard a cruise ship had set foot on Saint-Barth. A benchmark.

Ferry terminal
Despite being relocated for more than five months, passenger numbers at the Gustavia ferry terminal have never been higher. 341,389 passengers were registered there in 2024, compared with 311,021 the previous year. Even in 2019, passenger numbers were lower (306,886).

On the commercial port
Like every year, the commercial port was busy. In particular, 2024 saw an upturn in the number of cargo ship calls. "As the only gateway for supplies to our island, this facility, despite its lack of space, reflects the very good health of our economy.This is in spite of a delay in the worldwide shipment of certain goods by container, caused in addition by the cut in the shipment of these containers due to the lack of parking space at the commercial port", explains Director Ernest Brin, who adds: "A very complicated facility to manage both in terms of security and space management. "
The port's problem remains the same in 2024 as it was in 2023: the lack of parking space for goods importers.
"The same applies to the lack of space for parking the ever-increasing number of containers, the lack of space for handling and the traffic lanes that are used for ground cargo," stresses Ernest Brin. The port manager adds: "Public's industrial zone with its commercial port confirms that this is a nerve center where we absolutely must find a solution for the future to guarantee optimum safety. Today, it has become urgent to find solutions to provide parking for users of the commercial port as well as for professional vehicles operating on the port throughout the day. "

Constant activity
Despite all these drawbacks, the number of cargo calls remains constant, with 1,020 ships registered in 2024. The number of containers is very slightly down on previous years, with 8,263 units recorded (8,481 in 2023 and 8,646 in 2022). "For several years now, companies have been experiencing major difficulties in managing the unloading of groupage containers due to the lack ofFor several years now, companies have been experiencing major difficulties in managing the unloading of groupage containers, due to the lack of shelters, parking spaces for goods, the lack of dock space for unloading, and the inability to separate cold and dry containers", comments the port manager. According to Ernest Brin, additional shelters are urgently needed.

Fuel imports on the rise
In 2024, nearly 43.2 million liters of diesel were imported into Saint-Barthélemy. That's around three million more than the previous year. These staggering figures obviously have to be set against the staggering consumption of the Public EDF power plant, which approaches 125,000 liters per day. The EDF plant's consumption alone represents over 39.8 million liters of imported diesel. Gasoline imports are comparatively more modest, at just over 7.2 million liters in 2024.
In terms of imported goods, it should be noted that after a significant drop in 2023 (40,140 units vs. 77,953 in 2022), breeze-blocks are back on trend in 2024 (46,080 imported units). Sand is down sharply (68,526 tonnes in 2023 to 55,542 in 2024), as is gravel (21,308 tonnes in 2023 to 12,332 in 2024). Cement imports, on the other hand, rose very slightly (19,159 tonnes in 2024 versus 18,483 in 2023).

Seafood products
Since 2019, in agreement with the Collectivité and the Direction de la mer, the port management has been responsible for issuing seafood export manifests to vessels from outside the island that transport these products home. These vessels are mainly from Guadeloupe. In 2024, over 37 tonnes of fish were exported, compared with just 24 tonnes in 2023. Faced with these figures, the port's management wonders: "It's important to note the large quantities of these products that are exported and which disappear from our plateau, hence the question to be asked: Shouldn't we start regulating the export of fishery products, as is the case everywhere else, in order to secure our resources for future generations? "The project to set up a seafood processing plant, backed by the Comité des Pêches and the Chambre Economique Multiprofessionnelle, should perhaps help to reduce these exports.