Cruise Tourism

Abstract

Cruise lines welcomed almost 10 million passengers in 2000. Even though its relative significance in the tourism sector is still rather modest, cruise tourism has been one of the fastest growing tourism sub-sectors over the past few decades. The number of berths on offer has increased from a mere 45,000 in 1980 to 212,000 in January 2002, with more than a doubling of capacity in both the 1980s and 1990s. Demand and supply are still relatively concentrated in North America, with the Caribbean as the most important destination. In recent years, however, Europe, and to a lesser extent Asia and the Pacific, have been rapidly gaining in importance. For destinations visited, in particular for many islands, cruises constitute a valuable additional source of tourism receipts through the port services supplied, paid for by the cruise operators and the on-land tourism consumption generated by passengers and crew.