Continued development work

Passenger traffic slowed down due to travel restrictions brought by COVID-19. Nevertheless, travel was made possible even during the pandemic to the extent permitted by the travel restrictions. At the same time, preparations were made for the times after the crisis, and the development of passenger services and port properties was resolutely continued.

Over the course of the year, the Port of Helsinki focused on normal traffic, maintenance of infrastructure, development projects and particularly on securing the conditions for as safe travel as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Port arranged facilities for passenger border control, health guidance and coronavirus screening, among other things. The terminals were cleaned more frequently and passengers were provided with hand sanitisers. In addition to this, the instructions for safe travel were highlighted at the terminals and in the digital communication channels of the Port of Helsinki.

Close cooperation with shipping companies, authorities and other interest groups will be continued to responsibly ensure an enriching travel experience.

Passenger satisfaction at an excellent level

The COVID-19 situation greatly reduced leisure travel, in particular. However, commuters who travel a lot during normal circumstances were able to continue travelling despite the pandemic.

The Port of Helsinki invests in developing the passenger experience through data and understanding the needs of the passengers. Customer satisfaction continued to be measured, although the exceptional year caused interruptions and some terminals were closed for part of the year when no ships were operating.
There were fewer passengers than usual and the spaciousness of the facilities, among other things, reflected positively on the travel experience. Passengers were most pleased with the friendliness of the staff and the check-in experience. The renovation of Katajanokka increased satisfaction, especially with regard to the terminal premises and interior design. Parking and commercial services, on the other hand, were highlighted as the key areas for development.

• The overall passenger satisfaction rating for the year was an excellent 4.28 on a scale of 0–5. (Due to the exceptional year, the result is not fully comparable with the previous year. 2019: 4.05)
• The Net Promoter Score (NPS) illustrating the passenger experience was 49. (Due to the exceptional year, the result is not fully comparable with the previous year. 2019: 33)

Development work continued despite the exceptional circumstances

Development projects continued in the Port, and preparations were made to offer new experiences to ship passengers and city residents once travel recovers. The entire travel chain must be smooth, safe and seamless, and ensuring this is important for the Port, as well.

The Port strongly developed its commercial cooperation with various parties and entered into many new partnerships in 2020.

Parking and mobility services

The parking operation partner was put out to tender, and Aimo Park Finland was chosen as the partner in May. Electric scooters were provided with new facilities at the terminals, and Tier was chosen as a partner. The taxi concept at the terminals was also renewed. In the summer, separate lanes were created in front of West Terminal 2 and Katajanokka Terminal for the Port’s new contract partners, which are Lähitaksi and TaksiHelsinki.

Long-term parking in West Harbour will move to the multi-storey carpark built in 2020. The Satamaparkki carpark was opened in February 2021.

Satama and its partners also developed a completely new online service for booking and paying for parking in advance, which will be introduced in spring of 2021.

Restaurant services and enriching experiences

At the start of the year, a new advertising collaboration was launched with Clear Channel. It aims for better targeting of advertising, among other things. There are also aspirations to provide passengers with a wide range of information about travel-related services at the terminal, on board and at the destination, among other things.

An agreement on the provision of restaurant services at Katajanokka Terminal was signed with Compass Group in the summer, but the opening of the services has been delayed due to the pandemic.
Read more about the Katajanokka restaurant services at Port website. 

The enriching nature of travel was also further developed. At the start of the year, West Terminal 2 was transformed into a Winter Wonderland and Olympia Terminal celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Moomins. An experience wall, a 16-metre-wide multimedia screen for displaying both commercial and non-commercial content, was completed in the departure hall of Katajanokka Terminal to give the passenger a feeling of a successful sea voyage already at the terminal.

For Olympia Terminal, a service design project was implemented to support possible further development.

Recognition for sustainable travel

In June, the Port of Helsinki was among the first to be awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland label by Visit Finland. It indicates that the Port’s passenger operations meet the criteria of sustainable tourism, which takes into account economic, ecological, social and cultural sustainability.

Read more about the award at Port website.

Investments in functionality and the environment

The customer feedback received encourages investment in terminals and services. The terminals vary significantly in their level of quality, which the Port aims to even out with its investment programme.

The comprehensive renovation of the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Katajanokka passenger terminal, which was started the previous year, was completed at the beginning of the year. It included an update of the terminal’s services, facilities and signage. During the summer, the kitchen in the restaurant premises on the 3rd floor was completely renovated and a surface renovation was carried out in the dining room. The development project on the terminal’s passenger gates and data was also completed.

Significant investments were also made in the passenger harbours of the city centre, especially for the environment:

• Adding solar panels to West Terminal 2, with the aim of increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing the amount of purchased energy. Read more about the solar energy plants.
• Building onshore power supply connections at Olympia Terminal. They make it possible to significantly reduce the climate emissions generated while ships are berthed in port. The introduction of the new connections was postponed to 2021, once traffic from Olympia Terminal can recommence. Read more about the OSP investment.
• Building a second automated mooring system in West Harbour. The system speeds up the mooring and release of vessels, and its advantage is the local reductions of noise and emissions. Read more about the new automooring system.