Cruise contribution to UK economy grows

The cruise industry’s contribution to the UK economy grew in 2014, according to a Europe-wide report by Cruise Lines International Association.

The industry contributed £2.247 billion to the UK economy in 2014, up from £2.225 billion including goods and services purchased by cruise lines and the salaries of employees.

The industry directly contributed 2.8 per cent more to the combined economies of Europe at £11.842 billion. The figure, which also took into account indirect actions, including spending by cruise line suppliers, grew by 2.1 per cent to £28.659 billion from £28.043 billion.

In the UK the industry created 800 more jobs in 2014, taking the total figure to 71,222. This also accounted for a fifth of all cruise jobs in Europe.

The UK share of the European cruise market was 25.7 per cent in 2014.

Andy Harmer, director, CLIA UK & Ireland, sad: “Today’s report reaffirms the UK’s position not only as one of the world’s major cruise markets, but as a country which continues to reap multi-billion pound dividends from the cruise industry. Across the UK, ports and the cruise lines that serve them are playing an ever-increasing role in boosting the economies that surround them.”

Pierfrancesco Vago, CLIA Europe’s chairman, added: “The cruise industry is making a vital contribution to Europe’s economic recovery. In 2014 the cruise industry injected nearly €40 billion into the European economy and sustained almost 350,000 European jobs, over 80,000 of which were in the manufacturing sector. These record results are something we’ve all worked hard for and we should celebrate and build on.”