According to a new economic impact study commissioned by Cruise
Lines International Association (CLIA), a record 14.8 million people
cruised in 2010, including just over 10 million Americans. That's
10.3% more than the number that cruised in 2009, the largest
single-year jump since 2003.
The study, released last week, also indicated that 329,943 jobs were
generated by the North American cruise industry in 2010,
contributing $15.2 billion in wages. The cruise industry�s total
economic impact in the U.S. in 2010 amounted to $37.85 billion of
gross output, 7.8% more than in 2009.
The primary sources of the economic benefits are:
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spending by cruise passengers and crew;
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cruise line shoreside staffing for headquarters, marketing and tour
operations;
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cruise line spending for goods and services necessary for cruise
operations;
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cruise line spending for port services;
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cruise line spending at U.S. shipyards for ship maintenance and
repairs.
CLIA�s Chairman Howard Frank said, �These job numbers are good news
given the challenging economy. We are pleased with the strong gains
in the cruise industry�s economic contributions, and that CLIA-member
lines were directly or indirectly responsible for putting nearly
330,000 Americans to work.�