INTERNATIONAL. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today reported that the cruise industry served 31.7 million travellers in 2023, up by +7% on pre-pandemic 2019. CLIA released its 2024 State of the Cruise Industry report at Seatrade Cruise Global, the leading annual gathering of the cruise sector.
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The CLIA report showed continued demand for cruise holidays, and the forecast for cruise capacity showed an increase of +10% from 2024 through 2028.
Other cruise trends include:
- The number of new-to-cruise is increasing – 27% of cruisers over the past two years are new-to-cruise, an increase of +12% over the past year.
- Cruises are a top choice for multi-generational travel – with more than 30% of families travelling by cruise with at least two generations and 28% of cruise passengers travelling with three to five generations.
- Expedition and exploration are the fastest-growing sectors of cruise tourism, with a +71% increase in passengers travelling on expedition itineraries from 2019 to 2023.
- Accessible tour excursions are on the rise with 45% of cruise passengers booking an accessible tour for their most recent cruise.
- 73% of cruise travellers say that travel advisors have a meaningful influence on their decision to cruise. ✈️
