CLIA: 28.5 million passengers went on cruise in 2018
Travel and Tour World | April 13, 2019
In 2018, 28.5 million passengers went on a cruise, marking a 6.7% increase from 2017, as per new figures released from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). The CLIA research also showed that North American travellers in particular helped to enhance the global cruise business. The cruise tourism market soared by 9.4% to 14.2 million passengers, accounting for half of all global cruise passengers in 2018.The new cruise tourism figures suggest that cruise numbers grew at a slightly higher rate than international tourism across channels worldwide. The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer suggested that international tourist arrivals grew 6% last year.CLIA President & CEO Kelly Craighead said that this is not surprising that cruise travel is on par with overall international tourism growth. Cruising makes international travel accessible for travellers worldwide and it is apparent in the 2018 CLIA global passenger findings. From a renewed interest in cruises to the Mediterranean to a significant increase in adventure cruising, travellers are embracing cruise travel more than ever before.