Despite a looming recession, vacationers continue to book cruises and cruise lines continue to build new ships. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world’s largest cruising association, 13.5 million people will cruise in 2009 (an increase of 2.3 percent over last year). Also in 2009, more than 14 new cruise ships will be launched with innovative facilities such as full-scale water parks, supersized luxurious spas, and spacious children’s facilities.
In addition, a market study conducted by CLIA in 2008, indicated that the industry is positioned well for continued growth. The study discussed that only 20% of Americans have ever cruised. That means a whopping 80% of the American population has never cruised before! The study also discovered that nearly 51 million Americans expressed interest in cruising within the next three years. Add in potential cruisers from Canada and Europe, and there are plenty of cruisers to fill up those new ships.
One of the largest emerging markets of the cruise industry is family travel, with an estimated 1.6 million kids that cruised in 2008. CLIA attributes the high children numbers due to the growth in multi-generational cruise travel.
Check out my articles on trends in the cruising industry:
Best New Cruise Ship Launches For 2009
Newest Trends in Cruise Ship Suites and Cabins
Best Cruise Ships for Families with Children
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment