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CLIA releases ‘2021 State of Cruise Industry Outlook’

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released the 2021 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook  report, revealing a renewed optimism in cruise travel.

Despite a challenging year in 2020, new research shows there is optimism on the horizon with two out of three cruisers willing to cruise within a year and 58 per cent of international travellers, who have never cruised, likely to cruise in the next few years.

“For the cruise community, there is no denying that 2020 was not the year we anticipated. Still, the industry wasted no time adjusting course to address the challenges before us,” said Kelly Craighead, president and CEO, of CLIA

“With the year drawing to a close, we are pleased to share CLIA’s 2021 report that highlights the extraordinary steps that cruise community took to develop and implement enhanced public health protocols to keep putting people first while continuing to focus on innovation and responsible tourism practices that make cruising the best way to experience the world.”

Global economic impact and passenger data

The State of the Cruise Industry report includes the 2019 Global Economic Impact Analysis underscoring the growth of the cruise industry and its contributions to the international economy prior to the global health emergency.

In 2019, cruising sustained 1,166,000 jobs equaling US$50.53 billion in wages and salaries and US$154.5 billion total output worldwide in 2019.

The analysis also found passengers spent US$385 in port cities before boarding a cruise and spend $100 in each visiting port destination during a cruise.

The cruise industry hosted a total of 29.7 million passengers worldwide in 2019, according to the analysis. North America accounts for the highest rate of cruisers with 15.4 million passengers cruising in 2019.

The analysis also found that in 2020, every one per cent loss of cruisers resulted in a reduction of 9,100 industry-related jobs. Each day of the suspension caused direct and indirect industry losses of 2,500 jobs.

“Fleet of the future” and new cruise protocols

CLIA cruise lines anticipate debuting 19 new ocean ships in 2021, resulting in a total of 270 ocean ships projected to be in operation by the end of 2021. Looking ahead, this “fleet of the future” will feature enhanced health and safety cruise protocols for the resumption of passenger operations designed to help protect passengers, crew and destinations.

From early July through mid-December 2020, there were more than 200 sailings with multiple layers of enhanced measures in place. CLIA noted the success of these initial sailings demonstrates new protocols are working as designed – to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 among passengers, crew and the destinations cruise ships visit.

The report listed crew and passenger COVID-19 testing prior to embarkation, mask wearing, physical distancing, air management and ventilation strategies, and enhanced medical capabilities as some of the new protocols implemented by cruise lines.

Spotlight on responsible tourism

As CLIA members worked to address the impacts of COVID-19, the cruise industry also remained focused on its commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

The report highlights the industry’s US$23.5 billion investment in ships with new technologies and cleaner fuels to reduce carbon emissions, partnerships with local governments in key destinations, and a commitment to reducing its rate of carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 compared to 2008.

Forty-nine per cent of newbuild capacity on order will rely on LNG fuel for primary propulsion. Currently, more than 69 per cent of global capacity currently utilises EGCS, while 96 per cent of non-LNG newbuilds will have EGCS.

The report noted that 99 per cent of new ships on order will have these systems in place, bringing global capacity served by these systems to 78.5 per cent.

Fifty-eight per cent of new-build capacity is committed SSE compatibility, with 32 per cent of global fleet capacity already capable of SSE, and 25 per cent of existing capacity will be retrofitted to use SSE.

CLIA chairman Adam Goldstein said: “2020 was a year unlike any other, and I am proud of how our industry has united together to weather this unparalleled pandemic.

“As we look to 2021, I know that cruisers are eager to set sail once more, just as our industry is eager to put people back to work and create unforgettable experiences for our valued guests.”

Featured image source: iStock/cassinga

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Cruise tourism generates record AUS $5.63 billion for Australia

Cruise ships made a combined total of 1,354 calls at 62 Australian ports in 2022-2023

UnSplash/Jamie Davies

By Rebecca Gibson | 20 October 2023

Australia’s cruise industry generated a record AUS $5.63 billion (US $3.6 billion) for the economy in the 2022-2023 financial year, according to a new economic impact assessment jointly commissioned by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the Australian Cruise Association (ACA).

Cruise operations resumed in Australia in mid-2022, two years after the start of the Covid pandemic, bringing “significant economic impact” to every state and coastal territory. Statistics from The Value of Cruise Tourism economic impact assessment show that the total economic output was 22.1 per cent higher than in 2018-2019, the previous full year of cruise operations in Australia.

Direct passenger expenditure rose 10.6 per cent to AUS $1.49 billion, while crew contributed AUS $52.0 million (up 48.1 per cent), and cruise lines’ direct expenditure grew by 8.3 per cent to hit AUS $1.17 billion.

The cruise sector also supported 18,225 full-time equivalent positions nationally, a rise of 9.9 per cent from 2018-2019.

“Cruising returned to Australia much later than other parts of the world, but the ships have been resoundingly welcomed by cruise fans who have been heading back to sea in huge numbers,” said Joel Katz, managing director of CLIA Australasia. “The 2022-2023 year has brought higher levels of passenger spending, higher levels of cruise line spending, and record levels of economic output around Australia. The result is a resurgent cruise industry worth A$5.63 billion to the Australian economy.”

Cruise ships also visited more Australian destinations than ever before in 2022-2023, making a combined total of 1,354 calls at 62 Australian ports.

“Together these destinations welcomed 1,354 ship visits, which generates enormous income for businesses like tourism operators, hotels and restaurants, retailers, transport providers and port operators,” said Jill Abel, CEO of ACA. “The supply chain that supports cruising is extensive, from the travel agents who manage the passengers’ arrangements through to the farmers who provide Australian produce served onboard.”

Tags: CLIA     CLIA Australasia     News

Rebecca Gibson

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• Cruise sector boosts economic impact to $5.2 billion

The Australian cruise industry has shown an 11.2% increase in its total value to the national economy, contributing $5.2 billion in direct and indirect output during the 2018-19 financial year.

Compiled by AEC Group, the independent assessment found the equivalent of 18,135 full time jobs were supported by the cruise industry in 2018-19, a 6.6% increase on the previous year.

It says 1,240 cruise ship visits led to 3.8 million passenger and crew visit days, resulting in direct expenditure by passengers, crew and cruise lines totalling $2.5 billion.

CLIA Australasia Managing Director Joel Katz said the strong growth in economic contribution had been driven primarily by increased spending by cruise passengers.

“Total cruise passenger spending in 2018-19 increased 17.4% on the previous year to reach almost $1.4 billion,” Mr Katz said. “Cruise passengers now spend an average of $387 each for every day they’re on shore in Australia, which provides enormous benefits to businesses like hotels, restaurants, tour operators and retailers.”

ACA CEO Jill Abel said cruise ships had visited 47 different ports around Australia last financial year, bringing tourism to some of the most remote coastal communities in the country.

“The economic impact of cruising is not only enormous and growing, it’s also reaching locations that might otherwise be difficult for visitors to access,” Ms Abel said. “The diverse range of ports Australia offers around its coast is attracting more and more cruise lines, while also spreading the economic benefit of cruise tourism to the furthest corners of the continent.”

Other key highlights from the report include:

• The accommodation sector was the biggest beneficiary from cruise passengers, receiving $450 million or 33.3% of their combined spend.   
• The food and beverage sector accounted for almost $274 million or 20.3% of passenger spend, followed by transport ($196 million, 14.5%), retail ($159 million, 11.7%), shore excursions ($133 million, 9.8%) and entertainment ($59 million, 4.4%).
• At the start or end of a cruise, international visitors spent the most per day on shore, averaging $569 each, compared to domestic travellers who spent $436 per day.
• In a transit port, international visitors each spent an average of $211 per day on shore, while domestic travellers spent $174 per day.
• Cruise ship crew members each spent an average of $173 per day while in port, making a combined expenditure of $35 million in 2018-19.
• Cruise lines contributed direct expenditure of almost $1.1 billion – an increase of 4.6% on the previous year – spent on items including fuel, food and beverage supplies, port charges and fees, and administration. 
• NSW received the greatest share of direct expenditure from the cruise industry, receiving $1.55 billion including $1.54 billion in the key gateway port of Sydney.
• Among other states, Queensland received direct expenditure of $490 million, followed by Victoria ($168 million), Western Australia ($109 million), South Australia ($67 million), Tasmania ($49 million) and the Northern Territory ($31 million).

Mr Katz said the cruise industry had defied current berthing constraints in Sydney to achieve a high rate of growth in its national economic contribution.

“A lack of available berthing space in Sydney has made it difficult for the cruise industry to increase its capacity in Australia, but this has been countered by significant increases in the amount of spending by cruise passengers,” Mr Katz said. “In the future we look forward to achieving a solution to Sydney’s infrastructure constraints, while at the same time benefitting from investment in other ports such as Brisbane, Cairns, Broome and Eden which are improving their ability to welcome cruise ships.”

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The Global Cruise Industry in Numbers: 2021 Annual Report Out Now

• February 17, 2021

The 2021 Cruise Industry News Annual Report is now available, projecting the growth and ship deployment of every cruise brand and cruise company.

The 34th edition of the 400-page Cruise Industry News Annual Report projects the industry’s growth through 2027 based on new ship orders (there are no orders past 2027) and known or expected ship deployments. The report is available in print and via digital access.

Preview Pages of the Report  |  Table of Contents  | Order Now

The projections track every company, every brand and every ship year-by-year and region by region for every market segment, from contemporary to luxury, expedition and niche products in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and elsewhere.

The top 20 sailing regions are also analyzed, comparing year-over-year capacity for 2021 and going as far back as 1990 from the Caribbean to Antarctica.

Furthermore, the major brands’ deployments are broken down: where the ships are deployed, passenger capacity and the changes over a four- and five-year window,

The 2021 Cruise Industry News Annual Report is based on Cruise Industry News ’ independent research and shows the direction the industry is most likely to sail in the coming years, who the dominant players will be overall and in the different markets and market segments, and also the roles startups and niche players are expected to play.

This is the global cruise industry in a nutshell in the foreseeable future and the present.

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This study has been jointly commissioned by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australia in collaboration with Australian Cruise Association (ACA).

It represents an Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) of cruise tourism in Australia for the 2022-23 season (financial year).

COVID-19 Pandemic

On 18 March 2020 the Australian Government declared a human biosecurity emergency in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic which forbade international cruise ships from entering Australian ports. Cruises effectively ceased on that day.

Consequently, in the 2019-20 cruise tourism season activity only occurred from 1 July 2019 to 18 March 2020 and the economic impact was reduced in that season, however, as the peak cruising season is generally October to March the reduction in cruise tourism related expenditure for the season only decreased by 12% compared to 2018-19.

The ban on international cruise ships ended on 17 April 2022. This report therefore represents the first complete season of cruise tourism activity since 2018-19.

Economic Impact of Cruise Tourism

The national economic impact of cruise tourism in Australia for 2022-23 is based on the aggregation of all passenger, crew and cruise line expenditure at each port or destination visited by a cruise ship during the season.

Table E.1 below summarises the estimated national economic impacts generated by cruise tourism expenditure, converted to cruise tourism output, in Australia in 2022-23 as:

• Total output of $5.63 billion, including direct output of $2.5 billion.
• Total wages income of $1.82 billion, including $941 million in direct income and $878 million in indirect and induced wages income.
• Total supported employment of 18,225 full time equivalent positions (FTEs), including 9,869 direct positions and 8,365 indirect and induced positions.
• Total value-added impact of $2.94 billion, including a direct impact of $1.32 billion.

Table E.1 National economic impacts of cruise tourism

Key Cruise Tourism Statistics

Despite fewer ships (> 100 pax) operating the 2022-23 cruise tourism season saw an increase in the number of Australian destinations reported as visited,1 an increase in cruise ship visits, and the number of cruise ship visit days compared to the 2018-19 season. All expenditure measures grew from previous seasons.

Passenger and crew expenditures are derived from past Australian cruise ship surveys indexed by the consumer price index (CPI) (ABS, 2023). No new surveys have been undertaken since 2019-20 except for an international passenger survey undertaken in Sydney over January to March 2023 (AEC, 2023).

Cruise line expenditure is sourced via survey from local CLIA members and extrapolated to the entire population of cruise lines and their operations in Australia.

Cruise tourism’s statistics in the 2018-19 and 2022-23 seasons are summarised below.

Table E.2 Australian cruise tourism statistics

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