Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, has released the 2018 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook. The report offers an in-depth look at the cruise industry’s overall global economic impact as well as the trends impacting cruise travel in 2018.
Cruise travel is steadily on the rise with a projected 27.2 million passengers expected to set sail in 2018, says a latest study by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). According to the Association, an estimated 25.8 million passengers cruised in 2017 compared to a confirmed 24.7 million passengers in 2016, an increase of 20.5 percent over five years from 2011-2016. To meet ongoing demand, more ships are scheduled to set sail in 2018. CLIA Cruise Lines are scheduled to debut 27 new ocean, river and specialty ships this coming year.
“It is without question that the cruise industry continues on a growth trajectory, gaining in consumer interest and creating a positive impact on the global economy,” said Cindy D’Aoust, President and CEO, CLIA. “The 2018 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook is a way for us to keep a finger on the pulse of the global cruise industry and its impact on the global economy and identify new travel trends that will influence cruise travel in the future.”
CLIA is also reporting on the global economic impact of the cruise industry in 2016. Cruise industry expenditures generated $126 billion in total output worldwide, supporting more than one million full-time equivalent employees who earned $41 billion in income, an increase from previous years.
Managing Director of CLIA Asia, Joel Katz, said “With annual source market growth of more than 40%, Asia is emerging as one of the most significant cruise destinations and cruise source markets in the world. Cruising is expected to capture a much larger percentage of the Asian population in the near future, which could catapult Asia’s share of the global market.”
Meanwhile, CLIA has forecasted the top nine cruise travel trends for 2018. These trends are All Budgets Will Cruise, Transformational Cruise Travel, Sustainability at Sea, Millennials Take to the River, Skip-Gen Cruising, Travellers Warm to Chilly Destinations, Healthy Doses, Smart Travel Technology and Tapping Travel Agents.
