Study Results Detail Cruise Industry's $35.7 Billion Contribution to U.S. Economy

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The North
 American cruise industry last year generated $35.7 billion in gross U.S.
 economic output and supported 348,000 American jobs paying $14.7 billion in
 wages, according to a new report prepared for Cruise Lines International
 Association (CLIA).
     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070829/NYW023 )
     The report shows total cruise industry spending increased by 10 percent
 in 2006 and finds that the overall spending had an impact in all 50 states.
     Direct purchases by the cruise lines for goods and services such as
 food and beverage, fuel, equipment, business services, port services,
 vessel maintenance and repair as well as purchases by crew and passengers
 of goods and services related to cruising, including pre- and post-cruise
 stays, airfare and lodging, totaled $17.6 billion in 2006. Adding the
 indirect economic impacts, such as transportation services to deliver
 finished products to the cruise lines and utilities needed to run
 manufacturing equipment, the total economic impact generated by the cruise
 industry was $35.7 billion.
     The economic impact of the cruise industry reached into every state,
 with 79 percent of direct purchases and 83 percent of total employment and
 income concentrated in 10 states: Florida, California, Texas, Alaska, New
 York, Hawaii, Georgia, Washington, Illinois and Massachusetts. U.S. ports
 also saw the benefits from a growing cruise industry. Embarkations at U.S.
 ports increased by over 4 percent, totaling 9 million, and accounted for 75
 percent of total global embarkations.
     The Contribution of the North American Cruise Industry to the U.S.
 Economy in 2006 study was conducted by Business Research & Economic
 Advisors (BREA) in Exton, Pa., and analyzes the economic benefits to the
 U.S. economy from five principal sources: spending by cruise passengers and
 crew; shoreside staffing by cruise lines in U.S. cities; expenditures by
 cruise lines for goods and services; cruise line spending for U.S. port
 services; and expenditures in U.S. shipyards for maintenance and repair.
     "Given North America's importance in the global cruise market, it is
 gratifying to report that it is also hits the mark on such critical
 economic factors as spending output and employment," said Terry L. Dale,
 CLIA's president and CEO. "The U.S. economic benefits for 2006 reflect what
 we believe is a healthy rate of growth that supports an expanding
 industry."
     Among the factors behind the 2006 economic impact:
       -- In 2006, 12 million people worldwide took a cruise vacation, an
          increase of 7 percent over 2005.
       -- U.S. residents accounted for 78 percent of the industry's total
          passengers.
       -- The top 10 U.S. cruise ports by cruise embarkations in 2006 were:
          Miami, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Galveston, Los Angeles, New
          York, Tampa, Long Beach, Seattle and Honolulu.
       -- Based on passenger survey data, approximately 40 percent of embarking
          passengers stayed one or more nights in a port city and averaged $289
          per visit.
       -- Global industry revenues increased 7 percent to $20.6 billion.
       -- The $17.6 billion in direct spending created over 153,800 direct jobs
          paying $5.7 billion in wages.
       -- By year-end 2006, the cruise industry's fleet had increased to 151
          vessels with a combined capacity of 249,691 lower berths.
       -- The cruise industry operated in 2006 at an occupancy rate of 104
          percent.
     The full economic study and summary can be downloaded from CLIA's Web
 site, www.cruising.org. Information on the top states benefiting from
 cruise industry purchases also can be found on CLIA's Web site for:
 Florida, California, Texas, Alaska, New York, Hawaii, Washington, Illinois,
 Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Louisiana.
     About CLIA
     The nonprofit Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is North
 America's largest cruise industry organization. CLIA represents the
 interests of 24 member lines and participates in the regulatory and policy
 development process while supporting measures that foster a safe, secure
 and healthy cruise ship environment. CLIA is also engaged in travel agent
 training, research and marketing communications to promote the value and
 desirability of cruise vacations and counts as members 16,500 travel
 agencies. For more information on CLIA, the cruise industry, and
 CLIA-member cruise lines and travel agencies, visit www.cruising.org.
 
 

SOURCE Cruise Lines International Association