CLIA has announced that the cruise industry has exceeded its 2015 passenger projections and has raised expectations for 2016. CLIA released the new figures at the Cruise360 2016 Conference in Vancouver, the largest gathering of the cruise industry.
The industry recorded a total of 23.2 million cruise passengers worldwide in 2015, compared to a projection of 23 million, representing a 4% increase over 2014. As a result of the sector's year-on-year growth, CLIA has revised its expectations for 2016 and now anticipates that approximately 24.2 million travelers from around the world will embark on cruises this year.
Much of the cruise industry's growth can be attributed to emerging destinations. In 2015, Asia saw the strongest year-over-year growth in cruise passenger numbers, achieving an impressive 24% increase between 2014 and 2015, with a total of over 2 million passengers in 2015. Australia is not far behind. The region, which includes Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific, saw an incredible 14% increase in cruise passengers from 2014 to 2015, with over 1.1 million passengers.
Within the tourism sector, cruise travel has significant long-term growth potential. It represents 2% of the total leisure travel market, boasts the highest satisfaction ratings among travelers worldwide, and is growing in popularity. In fact, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, between 2004 and 2014, cruise vacations globally grew faster in popularity than other types of vacations, with an estimated difference of 20%.
