The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has reported a 3.4 percent growth in the number of European cruise passengers compared to 2015, led mainly by Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland, according to CLIA's annual survey, presented at Seatrade Cruise Global by Kyriakos Anastassiadis, President of CLIA Europe.
The European cruise market has experienced growth over the past ten years, reaching 6.7 million passengers in 2016.
The trend for the next five years is upward in all European markets, especially in Germany, with a projected growth of 11.3 percent, reaching a record 2 million passengers. Spain continues its recovery after the decline in 2014 and is growing by 4.2 percent.
Four out of five Europeans choose to take a cruise within the continent. Half of them opt for the Mediterranean or the Atlantic islands, while 21% prefer Northern Europe and the Baltic.
