The sector has also reinforced its workforce with 315,000 jobs in Europe during this period.

According to a report by Publituris, the impact of cruise tourism on the Portuguese economy, according to the most recent CLIA data, “is significant”. It is estimated that cruise tourism has generated total income of 487 million euros, which includes purchases by cruise lines from local suppliers worth 70 million euros, 121 million euros of investment in shipbuilding and around of 24.8 million euros in the remuneration of the 7,900 people who, in Portugal, work directly in this sector.

The data also show that more than 93% of the cruise companies in the world are supplied by European shipyards, including Portuguese shipyards, and the construction of cruise ships represents about 80% of the order book of shipyards. With 66 cruise ships on order over the next five years, this represents over €40 billion of direct investment in Europe.

Nikos Mertzanidis, Ports and Destination Lead at CLIA, states that “the cruise industry is a key source of revenue for communities in port cities and surrounding areas”.

According to the State of the Cruise Industry Report 2023, published by CLIA, “cruise passengers spend an average of €660 in port cities over the course of a typical seven-day cruise”. The same report indicates that “six out of ten cruise travellers return to the destinations they visited on a cruise for longer stays. This generates direct economic benefits, including job creation, revenue for ports, local tour operators, HORECA, suppliers and increased tourism spending”.