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Cruise demand rises 77 per cent in a decade
The cruise industry was worth $117 billion in 2013, supporting the employment of 891,009 workers, according to new data released by the Cruise Lines International Association.
It showed the demand for cruising in the last decade had increased by 77%, with passengers growing from 12 million to 21.3 million.
The independent report, commissioned by CLIA, was to assess the worldwide economic impact of the cruise industry.
It found that 55% of global passengers come from North America while 30% reside in Europe. Out of the 6.4 million living in Europe, 1.73 million cruise customers are from the UK and Ireland while 1.69 million are from Germany.
Overall 21.31 million cruise passengers left from ports around the world during 2013.
The average length of a cruise was seven days, with three to four port calls.
The cruise industry also generated nearly 115 million passenger and crew visit days at ports around the globe; cruise ship passengers and crew spent an average of $126.93 each port day.
"The cruise industry is truly global, bringing together a diverse mix of international passengers and crew to experience exciting itineraries, multiple destinations, and exceptional holiday vacation value on every continent," said CLIA President and CEO ,Christine Duffy.
"With so many fun options and a high return on vacation experience, it’s not surprising that the popularity of cruise holidays continues to grow."
Chairman of CLIA Europe and executive chairman of MSC Cruise, Pierfrancesco Vago, said: "With more Europeans choosing to cruise, more tourists cruising in European waters and more cruise ships being built in European ship yards, the weight of our industry in Europe can only continue to increase in years to come."
Diane
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