The cruise industry contributed a record $3.36 billion to the regional economy across the Caribbean and Latin America during the 2017-2018 season, the Florida-Caribbean Association says.
It published a study by Business Research & Economic Advisors showing record expenditure up 6.3% from the previous study in 2015.
It captured direct cruise tourism expenditures through passenger and crew surveys which supported nearly 79,000 jobs across the 36 destinations.
There were 25.2 million land visits from passengers, each spending an average of $101.52
"Beyond showing what cruise tourism brings to these destinations’ economies, which was crucial in restoring lives and communities following last year’s historic hurricane season, many of the findings will also serve as the foundation of building further mutual success between cruise lines and destination stakeholders," said Michele Paige, president of FCCA.
The temporary impacts of last year’s hurricanes resulted in increased visits and spending in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Bonaire, taking up the slack from hard-hit destinations such as Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and the US Virgin Islands.
