How big is the cruise industry?

CLIA (the North American based Cruise industry body) reports that the cruise industry’s total economic benefit to the U.S. economy was $35.7 billion in 2006. The cruise industry generated nearly 348,000 American jobs, and direct spending by cruise lines and passengers on U.S. goods and services totaled $17.6 billion

Globally consolidated- 19 major cruise operating companies, about 150 ships and growing all the time
In the US there are 16,000 member travel agents of the CLIA which tell its own story of the size of the cruise holiday market.

The worldwide cruise boom continued in 2006 with more than 15.5m passengers booking ocean-going holidays – up 7% on 2005 and on target to top 20m within five years.

There is an ever growing range of cruise products available on the market – reflected in the increasing PSA (the UK cruise and ferry body) membership – boosted to 39 brands by five new members – offering something to suit everyone, varying in size (from 49 passengers to over 4,000 passengers) and itineraries, from polar bear tracking and adventure cruises to simply relaxing and unwinding with state of the art on-board facilities such as gyms, spas, garden villas, surfing pools, ice skating rinks, bowling alleys, and first class dining. This product innovation has been key to the growth of the industry, a trend we predict to continue with close to two million UK cruisers by 2010.

The “Value Chain” of the cruise industry includes shipbuilders, ports, travel agents and retailers, cruise liners – super yatchs, river cruises, airlines, suppliers of provisions, staffing companies and insurers.