03/31/08
U.K. CRUISE INDUSTRY REPORTS 11 PERCENT GROWTH IN 2007
The British Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) announced another record year for the U.K cruise industry with its latest research revealing 1.3 million Brits took a cruise in 2007, an 11 percent increase over 2006. The statistics also reveal that the number of Brits cruising today is double that of 10 years ago with accelerated growth predicted over the next couple of years. Speaking at the Seatrade convention in Miami Beach, PSA Director William Gibbons said that last year showed a significant growth for the U.K. cruise industry, but this year is poised to be even better with the launch of 12 new or refurbished ships.
"The launch of Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas and Ocean Village 2 along with increased capacity from Princess Cruises has resulted in an increase in passenger figures in 2007," he said. "We can expect this trend to continue in 2008 with a huge increase in cruising capacity in the U.K. from new ships including Fred Olsen's Balmoral, P&O's Ventura, Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas, Cunard's Queen Victoria, NCL's Norwegian Jade, Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Splendor and MSC's Armonia. This is in addition to Swan Hellenic reintroducing its brand to the U.K. market and Transocean increasing its capacity with cruises from Tilbury with Marco Polo. With the number of new and refurbished ships specifically aimed at the U.K. market we can expect to see an increase to 1.5 million British passengers in 2008."
Last year saw an increase of 2 percent on ex-U.K. cruises with 460,000 Brits choosing to cruise from the U.K.; however the biggest growth was the fly-cruise market with an increase of 17 percent from 2006. The Mediterranean retained its position as the number one choice for U.K. cruise passengers with a 21 percent increase on visitors to the region in 2007. The Caribbean also remains a popular choice with a 6 percent increase and 17 percent share of the cruising market. The Far East and Australia showed a 51 percent increase, highlighting that the British public are increasingly choosing cruising as a way to explore further destinations. The PSA celebrates its 50th year anniversary in 2008 and now has 37 members representing 41 cruise brands. Gibbons added, "With the increasing number of new build ships, diversity of product and ever increasing demand from the British public, the future of cruising looks very promising." For more information on Corporate Cruise Incentives in the U.K. call us at 1.866.377.2228 or e-mail info@SevenSeasEvents.com
