According to figures recently released by CLIA UK & Ireland in their Economic Contribution Report, the UK retains the Number One spot in Europe’s cruise market with a 27.2% share of passengers in 2013. Last year, the number of British passengers taking to the seas rose significantly, reaching 1.72 million. And adding to the good news; Southampton also kept their position as the most popular port in Europe – passengers through the port rose by 7.5% in 2013, reaching 1.64 million; Barcelona was second.
The rise in passenger numbers just goes to show that the cruise market is going from strength-to-strength with large rises in the number of passengers choosing the holiday option of a cruise, plus the number of people using ports for their travel. The fact that the UK is leading the way shows that it is a popular form of travel with the British, and one that looks like it is set to continue.
The lucrative cruise industry generated over £2.5 billion for the UK economy in 2013; Europe-wide the contribution showed a big step up by rising 22% to £32.03 billion! Obviously showing no signs of slowing down then? It is now a multi-million pound business, delivering yet bigger dividends for the British economy and suggesting that a cruise is no longer retains that exclusivity of being attainable only by those with the means to take a cruise. More cruise operators travelling our seas, offering a much wider variety of trips to many more destinations has opened up the choice of cruise as a holiday to many more people; and with cruise ships offering passengers so much more in the way of activities, accommodation, entertainment, facilities, etc., you can often find that the passenger gets far better value for money and the chance to see a lot more of the world!
The report also revealed that for the first time last year, the number of British and overseas passengers embarking on their cruise via a UK port passed one million; that’s a massive 8% increase. Not only that, passengers on day visits to any one of the UK’s cruise ports – there are 51 in total – also rose, jumping an incredible 22%!
Who said the cruise market was on a downward turn? Not us!
By Oliver Derek