Introduction.
The passenger number of cruise tourism has been on the rise, and this is currently one of the fastest-growing tourism segments in the travel industry around the world. Since the 1980s, cruise tourism has risen exponentially both in America and Europe. The effects on the economy, societies and the tourism sector in generally have been quite immense as well. The popularity of cruise tourism has extended to other areas in Asia and currently, United States holds the highest increment of cruise demand (11.5%), China follows with an annual growth rate of 2.1%. Hung et al. (2019 p.207) found out that the Caribbean region remains the critical deployment with a share of 35.4% while the Mediterranean accounts for 15.8%, Europe, 11.3%, and China standing at 6%. Even though the industry is new in China, it drives the growth in the Asian region. To conclude the topic, an analysis of the data from reputable sources such as the OMT and CTO would be used. The economic effects are analyzed from the standpoint of the estimated total expenditure, while the effects on tourism are analyzed from the environmental impacts that are based on both the historical and local data.
Figure 1: The global cruise port system.
The nature of the cruise industry and its relationship to tourism.
Characteristics of the cruise market
The cruise ship industry segment has become one of the most significant parts of the travel means. The average growth in the number of people in this industry has grown exponentially, with an annual growth rate of more than 9%, according to Hung et al., (2019 p.209). In 2019, a total of more than 25 million passengers were carried on cruise lines globally (Delgado, 2017 p.387). This represents more than 4% rise from the previous year. Cruise travel is quite popular in the United States and European countries such as Italy, France, and Britain. With the rise in other economies such a China, and Australia, it is critical to note that the cruise ship industry has grown at a much more significantly. America represents the most significant market making up a total of more than 60% of the cruise ship travels globally. Within the next ten years, it is expected that the number of people cruising would be more than 50 million. Every year, more than 500 liners sail around the seas globally. The investment in the cruise lines is more than USD 40 billion.
The cruise industry is expected to take off in the coming few years, and as a matter of fact, it might become one of the most significant modes of transport for people living in the developed economies. The growth in the cruise industry, according to Sorrentino et al. (2019 p.279), can be attributed to the growth in the tourism rates the world over. For this reason, both of the industries benefit mutually from the investment and rise in either of the activities. Apart from the rise in cruise travels, another aspect, such as the rise in the assembly of cruise ships, is what contributes to the high travel rates. With the edge cutting design and innovativeness in the making of these ships, it is expected that the cruise ship industry will experience sustained growth over the next ten years.