2024-04-06 08:25:04
Floating cities in front of a skyscraper backdrop: Miami cruise port, January 2024 Image: Franz Neumeier
Cruises have picked up speed again, with ports around the world reporting record numbers – but there is resistance at some of the industry’s favorite destinations
The cruise industry is back on track for growth. After three years of pandemic-related lull, passenger numbers in 2023 rose above the previous record year of 2019 for the first time. Almost three million Germans and a total of 31.5 million people spent their vacation at sea again. That’s six percent more worldwide than in 2019. These numbers are also significant because global tourism as a whole did not yet return to its pre-pandemic level last year. A sudden end to growth is not expected: there will be 39.5 million ocean cruise passengers by 2027, predicts the industry association CLIA.
But not everyone is happy about the recent passenger records. For example, in some communities in Alaska there is resistance to the sheer volume of cruise tourists. These citizens’ initiatives have not had any success so far, because the ships bring a lot of money to the region, which is heavily dependent on tourism. In Europe, however, the first cities are taking countermeasures: Barcelona and Dubrovnik, for example, are limiting the number of ships per day.
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