European Cruise Council Release 2007 Cruise Figures

There was more good news for the cruise industry today as the European Cruise Council announced recent figures which suggest cruise passengers spent £13 billion in 2007, with a 22% increase. The European Cruise Council also report that the cruise industry created 280,000 jobs in 2007, a 25% increase on the amount generated the year before.

David Dingle, Carnival UK chief executive and chairman of the ECC said:

“There has been a significant increase, more than 53% in two years, in the number of passengers joining their cruise from a European port, partially the result of the increased number of North American ships now sailing in Europe.

This has contributed to the substantial increase in the amount passengers spend at embarkation ports and ports of call – in the three years the ECC has been collecting data there has been a 56% increase to €2.5bn.”

The European cruise industry in particular is flourishing nearly 19m visits were made to European ports, whilst 4.3m passengers joined their cruise at a European port.

Mediterannean cruises proved the most popuar in 2007, with Greece and Italy taking 22% of the market share each, whilst Spain was third with 17%. David Dingle also hinted at another positive year, with early 2008 figures showing a further increase in cruise passengers by 10%.