The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its 2022 State of Cruise Industry Outlook report, showing a strong resurgence for the sector.
Despite a tough year for the cruise industry, the CLIA report has a renewed sense of optimism with more than 75 per cent of ocean-going member capacity returning to service and the report projecting nearly 100 per cent to be in operation by August 2022.
“The 2022 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook report provides an opportunity to reflect on how far our industry has come as CLIA ocean-going cruise lines have welcomed more than six million guests onboard since resuming operations in July 2020,” president and CEO of CLIA, Kelly Craighead, said.
The report predicts strong advancements in the cruise industry’s pursuit of a cleaner, more carbon-neutral operations with the CLIA ocean-going cruise line member fleet set to have 26 LNG-powered cruise ships, 81 per cent of global capacity fitted with Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems, and 174 cruise ships with shoreside power connectivity.
“While our focus on health and safety remains absolute, our industry is also leading the way in environmental sustainability and destination stewardship,” Craighead said.
“Coastal and maritime tourism is an important economic driver, and we continue to work in partnership with cruise destinations so that communities thrive from responsible tourism.
“Our members are also investing in new technologies and new ships and pursuing the goal of net carbon neutral cruising by 2050.”
Alongside an emphasis on the environment, the CLIA report highlight the value of cruise tourists and the money they spend, which create jobs and opportunities for local communities around the world.
According to the report, every 24 cruisers creates one full-time equivalent job, Cruisers spend an average of $750 USD per passenger in port cities over the course of a typical seven-day cruise, and 6 in 10 people who have taken a cruise say that they have returned to a destination that they first visited via cruise ship.
The 2022 outlook report features reflections from cruise industry partners and community members around the world.
You can find the full report here.
Featured image: iStock/Joel Carillet
