Cruise Industry Continues Global Growth with More Than 21 Million Cruise Passengers and $117 Billion in Economic Contributions in 2013

A new report released by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) shows that demand for cruising across the globe increased 77 per cent over the past decade, with passenger numbers rising from 12 million to 21.3 million.

The report also reveals for the first time that cruise industry expenditure worldwide generated $117 billion in total economic contributions, supporting the employment of more than 890,000 full-time equivalent employees with total wages of more than $38 billion. 

“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 value on every continent,” CLIA President and CEO Christine Duffy said. 

“With so many fun and great value options, it’s not surprising that the popularity of cruise holidays continues to grow. This inaugural study shows that the cruise industry’s growth is also generating increased jobs, income, and revenue in all regions of the world.”

The report shows the Asia Pacific region was the source of 10 per cent of the cruise industry’s global capacity (13.5 million bed days), with Australia accounting for about half of this total (6.6 million bed days) in 2013. 

CLIA Australasia General Manager Brett Jardine said the new report provided a great overview of the size and value of the global cruise industry as well as a further insight into Australia’s contribution. 

“The figures published today underline that Australia is an integral part of the global cruise industry,” Mr Jardine said. 

“While we already know that 833,348 Australians cruised worldwide in 2013, this new global report gives us another piece of the picture by showing us that our region is a sought after cruise destination for passengers from all over the world.”

The independent report is the first to assess the worldwide economic impact of the cruise industry. Commissioned by CLIA from Business Research and Economic Advisers (BREA), The Global Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism 2013 found that:

* 21.31 million cruise passengers embarked from ports around the world

* 55 per cent of global passengers were sourced from North America (11.82 million), including 10.92 million that reside in the US 

* 30 per cent of passengers resided in Europe (6.4 million), including 1.73 million from the UK and Ireland, and 1.69 million from Germany

* Australia (833,000 passengers), Brazil (732,000), and China (727,000) also accounted for substantial passenger numbers

* The average length of a cruise was seven days, with three or four port calls

* The cruise industry 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.

A separate report on the economic value of cruising in Australia is due to be released by CLIA Australasia in the coming weeks.

Information supplied by: Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

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