The Cruise Industry in the World

Abstract

The cruise industry is one of the most important growth sectors in the entire tourism market. The number of cruise passengers has been increasing in the last 9 years. The market is still growing, despite the global economic instability. North America is the primary market for cruise activities. There is still enormous potential to be found in the worldwide cruise market. The European cruise sector is number two and it is a growing market. The biggest European country is Great Britain. Various interest groups are trying to increase familiarity with the cruise product to grow the market. The fact the cruise market displays strong growth even under difficult circumstances (in times of instability) breeds confidence for the future. The cruise industry can make a huge positive contribution to tourism destinations and generate economic benefits, which makes it a very interesting market for coastal regions. The chapter studies the status of the cruise industry in the world and the future foreseeable evolution of this industry.