By
Rebecca Gibson |
The British cruise industry experienced strong growth and generated a record £2.5 billion in direct expenditure for the UK economy in 2012, according to a recent report released by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
Figures indicated that the UK remained Europe’s biggest cruise market last year, with UK passengers taking up 27.7 per cent of total market share, equating to more than 1.7 million people.
British workers also accounted for a fifth of the total number of cruise industry jobs in Europe, with an additional 2,000 positions bringing the total number of jobs to 66,059.
The Port of Southampton – one of 19 UK and Irish ports offering departures – was indicated as Europe’s largest embarkation and disembarkation port, with more than 1.5 million passengers cruising from the city last year. More than 11,000 jobs across the south east of England are supported by the port and each cruise ship turnaround is estimated to contribute around £2.5 million to the local economy.
“These figures demonstrate the continued and growing strength of the British cruise market,” said Andy Harmer, director of CLIA UK and Ireland. “The cruise industry is a significant growth vehicle for the UK economy, contributing more in expenditure and jobs each year, despite the on-going economic challenges in this country and the wider European marketplace.”
European passenger numbers have more than doubled in the past decade to 6.1 million, while the sector attracted almost a million passengers from outside the region.
The cruise industry’s overall contribution to the European economy – including indirect expenditure – grew three per cent to €37.9 billion and generated employment for more than 326,000 people across Europe, up from 315,500 last year.
“Despite the global economic crisis, the cruising industry continues to show steady growth,” said Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, chairman of CLIA Europe. “These impressive figures clearly show the social and economic importance of the cruise sector to Europe as a whole.”