Throughout 2022, 414,000 Spaniards opted for a cruise to enjoy their holidays, as reported in the 2022 Europe Market report, published by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
These figures place Spain as the fourth most important source market in Europe, behind Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and Italy. The aforementioned report also indicates that:
• The average age of Spanish cruise tourists is 43.6 years, compared to 48.3 years for European tourists.
• The Mediterranean is the most popular destination for Spaniards (84.4%), specifically the Central and Western Mediterranean (Spain, France, and Italy), a trend that follows the pattern established by the rest of Europe. Northern Europe (7%) and the Caribbean (3.6%) rank second and third, respectively.
• On average, Spanish cruise tourists spend 7.3 days on their cruise, 1.2 days less than the European average (8.5 days).
CLIA's director in Spain, Alfredo Serrano, views these figures positively. While the Spanish market has not yet reached 2019 levels, when 553,000 Spaniards chose this vacation option, the results achieved "highlight the excellent work carried out by cruise lines and travel agents during the pandemic, which has focused on building consumer confidence." "Furthermore," Serrano adds, "they have quickly adapted their product to the new reality and the needs of their customers while maintaining their commitment to social, economic, and environmental sustainability.".
“We are a responsible industry that promotes quality tourism and generates wealth; an industry that leads the green transformation of maritime transport and is committed to sustainable development so that both present and future generations can benefit from this activity,” Serrano concludes.
Positive Outlook
. At the same time, CLIA has received the results of its regular opinion survey of cruise travelers and non-cruise travelers. The survey reveals the following:
• 91% of respondents in Spain who have enjoyed a cruise expressed their intention to sail again in the coming years, a figure slightly higher than the average (85%).
• 87% of respondents in Spain who have never sailed stated they are open to this vacation option, a percentage 14 points above the average.
• 79% of all respondents in Spain stated their intention to take a cruise in the next two years, compared to the average of 71%.
• As part of the opinion study promoted by CLIA, 4,500 surveys were conducted with travelers from nine countries: Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• In 2019, 553,000 Spanish cruise tourists were registered. Furthermore, the industry generated a turnover in Spain of almost 6 billion euros, contributing 2.8 billion euros to the national GDP and is estimated to have contributed to the creation of more than 50,000 jobs.
