Global Demand for Cruising Almost Doubled

New data released by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) show that the North American cruise industry continued to expand in 2013, generating employment, income, and other
economic benefits throughout the U.S. economy. Christine Duffy, CLIA President and CEO noted that on a global basis, over the ten years from 2003 to 2013, demand for cruising worldwide has increased 77 percent, from 12 million to 21.3 million passengers.

Globally, cruise industry expenditures generated USD 117 billion in total output, requiring 891,009 full-time equivalent employees who earned USD 38.47 billion in income.

 The independent report commissioned by CLIA from Business Research and Economic Advisers (BREA), The Contribution of the North American Cruise Industry to the U.S. Economy in 2013, found that: 
 Total contributions of the cruise industry to the U.S. economy in 2013 reached a record USD 44.1 billion; 
 The cruise industry supported 363,133 U.S. jobs, in every state, paying wages of USD 18.3 billion 
 Nearly 10 million cruise passengers embarked at U.S. ports, representing 57% of the North American cruise industry’s global embarkations 
 U.S.-based direct spending by cruise lines, passengers, and crew totaled USD 20.1 billion, nearly double expenditures made in 2000 
 Nearly 70% of the cruise industry’s non-wage expenditures were made with U.S.-based businesses 

The BREA study found that the positive impacts of the cruise industry are found in every state, ranging from 3,227 jobs and USD 138 million in direct purchases in Missouri, to more than 140,400 jobs and over USD 7.3 billion in direct purchases in Florida. The top 10 U.S. cruise ports accounted for 86 percent of embarkations. Florida remains the center of cruising in the United States, with its five cruise ports accounting for nearly 62 percent of all U.S. embarkations in 2013. California, Texas, and New York each had more than 600,000 embarkations.