Madrid, March 8, 2018 – The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading authority and voice of the global cruise community, has published the results of the 2017 European Market Report*.
The report confirms that Spain has overtaken France as the fourth largest source market for cruise passengers in Europe, with a growth of 6.4% between 2016 and 2017.The Spanish market is the fastest growing, almost tripling the European average, an increase that indicates greater consumer confidence in the sector and reaffirms that last year Spaniards chose a cruise as one of their top vacation options.
Following the upward trend of 2015 and 2016, 510,000 Spaniards enjoyed a cruise, 31,000 more than in 2016. The Mediterranean remains the most popular option with 265,000 passengers, although this year it only shows a 1.5% increase compared to 2016. Unlike this destination, other places that require air transport, such as the Canary Islands, Northern Europe, and the Caribbean, have experienced significant growth during 2017, suggesting a trend towards less seasonal and more diversified demand.
The results also show that the average duration of Spanish cruises is 7 days and that Spain has one of the youngest cruise passenger profiles in Europe, with an average age of 44. Another key finding of the report is that more and more families are choosing cruises for their holidays, as the number of children under 12 on board has increased by 5.2% compared to the previous year.
At the European level, the cruise market has grown steadily over the past six years, reaching 6.9 million European passengers in 2017 , representing a 2.5% increase over the previous year. 75% of European cruise passengers in 2017 chose Europe as their destination, a slightly lower figure compared to recent years due to the decline in Mediterranean passengers and the growth in Caribbean cruises. The report also shows that half of all European cruises go to the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, and 25% go to Northern Europe and the Baltic. Outside of Europe, the most popular destinations are transatlantic and Asian cruises.
Evolution of passengers at the European level
Kyriakos Anastassiadis, President of CLIA Europe, stated: “Our growth forecast for Europe in 2017 has been confirmed. We expect 2018 to be another positive year, with the arrival of 16 new ships. The industry will continue to thrive in Europe and other regions thanks to the increased variety of cruises and the personalization they offer their guests.”.
Top five passenger source markets in Europe in 2017
*All this data refers to ocean cruises.
