The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its report on the state of the industry that gives some optimism for cruises in 2021. Even though it’s still going to be tough, CLIA is has revealed that two out of three cruisers are still willing to cruise within the next year.
Optimism for 2021 Remains
As we approach the end of a year, which we all want to put behind us, the Cruise Lines International Association has provided some optimism for the year ahead. The organization released the 2021 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook report, and surprisingly there are some positive takes.
The new research has revealed that two out of three cruisers are willing to cruise within the year. This was found after a survey on vacationers in eight countries, including the U.S, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
The survey also found that 58% of international vacationers who have never cruised are actually likely to cruise in the next few years. 74% of cruisers are also likely to cruiser in the coming years.
Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of CLIA, said:
“For the cruise community, there is no denying that 2020 was not the year we anticipated. Still, the industry wasted no time adjusting course to address the challenges before us.”
“With the year drawing to a close, we are pleased to share CLIA’s 2021 report that highlights the extraordinary steps that cruise community took to develop and implement enhanced public health protocols to keep putting people first, while continuing to focus on innovation and responsible tourism practices that make cruising the best way to experience the world.”
Notable Numbers from 2019
Before the global pandemic started to impact the cruise industry the numbers were impressive. Within the report, numbers have been released for 2019, and cruising sustained over 1,166,000 jobs that had an output of $154.5 billion towards the global economy.
It comes as no surprise that most cruisers are from North America, with a total of 15.4 million passengers through 2019. That’s out of a total of 29.7 million worldwide.
Successful Sailings
Even though 2020 was a dismal year, CLIA has detailed that from early July through mid-December 2020, there were more than 200 sailings. The cruises implemented new health measures and it shows that they are working.
Moving forward, the organization has issued mandatory protocols such as testing of passengers and crew, mask-wearing, and new ventilation strategies to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Also Read: Calls for International Travel to Reopen, Cannot Wait for Vaccines
The Impact of a Shutdown Industry
CLIA released numbers due to the global pandemic’s impact and the shutdown of the industry around the world. Between mid-March and September 2020, the suspension of operations resulted in a loss of $77 billion on the global economic activity, 518,000 jobs, and $23 billion in wages.
The industry outlook published by CLIA pretty much covers all aspects. 16 new ocean cruise ships are expected to debut in 2021, and the “Fleet of the Future” with new health measures is set to help the crushed industry make a comeback.
In the United States, cruises are scheduled to start slowly in Spring 2021. Some cruises have already restarted in Europe and Asia.
There are 57 cruise lines around the world that are members of the Cruise Lines International Association. You can read through the full 30-page report right here.
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