The contribution of the cruise industry in Spain amounted to 6.45 billion euros in 2023, 14% more than the previous year, according to a study prepared by Tourism Economics / Oxford Economics at the request of CLIA.
Furthermore, it contributed €3 billion to the country's GDP and stimulated the creation of 48,900 jobs, representing a 16% increase in both cases compared to 2022.
According to Alfredo Serrano, CLIA's director in Spain, these figures "confirm our industry's capacity to generate wealth and opportunities in our country." He clarifies, "One of the characteristics of our economic impact is its broad reach, benefiting a wide range of companies and professionals: from tour guides to food service companies and travel agents, to name just a few.".
The executive also highlights other positive externalities linked to the activity in Spain. Among them, he emphasizes “its lower seasonality, since peak activity is concentrated in spring and autumn; having a customer profile that values culture, helping to develop less popular destinations; and not contributing to the removal of housing from the market since most port calls in Spain occur during the day.”.
Financial contribution
Regarding the €2.89 billion in direct spending, Alfredo Serrano clarifies: “Almost 50% of this figure is directly linked to shipping companies and their operations (port mooring costs, provisioning, refueling, etc.), to which is added another 10% related to the investments that cruise companies make in Spanish shipyards.” “Furthermore,” Serrano adds, “it is worth highlighting their commitment to the Navantia Cádiz shipyards, a world leader in the repair and refitting of cruise ships.”
Job creation
In terms of job creation, the cruise industry contributed to the generation of 48,900 jobs in Spain, of which more than 50% are direct, representing 1.8 billion euros in salaries.
At the European level, the industry generated over 55 billion euros in revenue, contributed 25.7 billion euros to GDP and fostered the creation of 440,000 jobs.
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