The CLIA Spain column

Alfredo Serrano

Managing Director CLIA Spain

Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 60 – March 2022

2022, navigating towards the full recovery of the industry

Despite the turbulent times Europe and the world are experiencing as a result of the tragic situation in Ukraine, after months of navigating against the odds and through rough seas, it seems the cruise industry is finally heading towards a new era. The roadmap is set, and the destination is clear: full recovery.

Indeed, one of the main points addressed in the Cruise Industry Outlook 2022 report, published by CLIA at the end of January, is the recovery and how, with rigorous and exhaustive health protocols, we have been paving the way and moving forward in the gradual resumption of activity.

According to the study, 2022 will be crucial to reaching pre-pandemic passenger volume by the end of 2023, or nearly 30 million guests. Furthermore, it is estimated that the number of cruise passengers could increase by 12% compared to 2019 by 2026. 

But, besides being a year of transition towards the longed-for full recovery, what does 2022 look like? 

According to the data in the aforementioned report, it is expected that nearly 100% of capacity will be operational again next August. Meanwhile, in terms of cruise passengers and a realistic scenario, the year could end with a volume close to 95% of that achieved in 2019. These are very positive figures, especially considering the difficulties of the previous months and the fact that there are still regions that have not lifted their restrictions on cruise operations.

In addition, 16 new ocean-going ships (CLIA fleet) will debut throughout this year, of which five will be powered by liquefied natural gas and nine will be expedition ships.

These forecasts, beyond implying that we have finally overcome the pandemic, are excellent news not only for shipping companies and businesses directly linked to the industry. It is well known that one of our sector's strengths is its cross-border nature; its capacity to generate wealth across the globe—in short, an economic engine that has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this regard, I would like to highlight three key findings from the report that I consider particularly significant for Spain, the fourth largest European source market, home to some of Europe's most popular cruise destinations and the leading port on the Mediterranean coast:
• For every 24 cruise passengers, the equivalent of one full-time job is created.
• On average, each guest spends $750 at the destinations they visit during a seven-day cruise.
• Six out of ten cruise takers say they have returned to one of the destinations they first discovered during their cruise.

Cruise tourism: responsible tourism.
Over the past few months, the resilience of the cruise industry has been highlighted on numerous occasions. There is no doubt that this is true, just as there is no doubt that another of its defining characteristics is its responsibility, understood from different perspectives and viewpoints. 

This sense of responsibility has led the industry to, as we mentioned earlier, develop comprehensive health protocols that would allow a safe return for guests, crew members, and communities alike. 

This responsibility encourages him to collaborate with destinations to define models that allow the needs of communities and the experience of cruise tourists to be combined and balanced, while ensuring sustainable development that benefits future generations.

A responsibility that drives it to lead innovation and environmental sustainability within maritime transport; the path towards decarbonization, seeking the goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. The intense work that has been carried out for years in the search for innovative solutions is already having results materialized in the installation of advanced recycling systems; the maximization of energy efficiency, the search for alternative fuels and the use of reverse osmosis water filtration systems.

Each new guest, each new mile traveled, each new stopover, is one more step that brings the industry closer to full recovery; a recovery that will allow it to continue providing value to communities, without forgetting its commitment to the environment and its decisive role in the transformation of maritime transport.