As the world continues to grapple with the challenge of COVID-19, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has been working with local and national governments around the world, as well as leading health authorities and our partners across the broader cruise industry to coordinate our efforts during the current suspension of our cruise operations worldwide.
The top priority for our entire community – including cruise lines, travel agents, ports, destinations, suppliers and others – continues to be the health and safety of our passengers, crew and communities in the places we visit.
The fact is that the vast majority of CLIA members' more than 270 cruise ships were unaffected by this virus. This is largely due to the aggressive measures taken by CLIA's ocean-going cruise lines in response to COVID-19, based on current guidance from global health authorities, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). These measures include rigorous screening protocols, enhanced sanitation measures, and the availability of 24/7 onboard medical care and treatment.
Tragically, we now know that this virus can affect any environment where people socialize and enjoy shared experiences. For this reason, and following the WHO's declaration of the pandemic in mid-March, CLIA's ocean-going cruise lines took the unprecedented step of voluntarily suspending global operations, making the cruise industry one of the first to do so.
Unfortunately, the suspension of cruise operations will have a significant detrimental effect on the global economy. The cruise industry generates over $150 billion annually in global economic activity and supports more than 1.17 million jobs worldwide. Cruises impact nearly every sector, from transportation and agriculture to hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, and more. When the time is right for cruises to set sail again, our industry will be an important part of the global economic and social recovery.
CLIA, on behalf of the broader cruise industry, appreciates the constructive working relationships we share with global authorities around the world, including in North America, Europe, Australasia, and South America. We will use this time during the suspension of global operations to continue working with them toward our shared goal of further advancing our efforts to protect the health and safety of passengers, crew, and the public, and to support recovery goals for tourism and related businesses.
