Cruise sector grows

Demand for cruising across the globe has surged during the last decade, according to a survey conducted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Since 2003, the number of passengers increased from 12m to 21.3m with most of them coming from North America (more than 50\%).

CLIA’s survey suggests that total economic contributions generated by the cruise industry were $117bn.

Christine Duffy, president and chief executive for CLIA, said: “With so many fun options and a high return on vacation experience, it is not surprising that the popularity of cruise holidays continue to grow.”

The sector gives employment to 891,009 people, the survey found.

Onshore visits by passengers during cruise trips generated $52.31bn in direct expenditures.

The Caribbean has been the biggest destination over the last decade, but Northern Europe has significantly improved, accounting for 45\% of the industry’s global output for 2013.

Pierfrancesco Vargo, chairman of CLIA Europe and executive chairman of MSC Cruises, said: “The cruise industry today is a key contributor to Europe’s economic recovery creating real jobs and growth at a time when both are hard to come by.”

Vargo predicted that the influence of the industry will increase in the near future.

source:www.tradewindsnews.com