Germany Becomes Europe’s Biggest Cruise Market

European’s spend large sums of money every year on vacation and a significant number of them like to go on cruises. The United Kingdom was once the biggest cruise market in Europe and recent data suggests that the cruise industry’s has continued to contribute to the nation’s economy in 2014. However, Germany has now overtaken the United Kingdom has now become the biggest cruise market in Europe.

A total of 1.64 million British passengers went on a cruise during 2014 and a total of 1.77 million German passengers took a cruise in 2014. After Germany and the United Kingdom, Italy comes in third, France takes fourth place and Spain finishes takes the fifth spot.

The cruise industry not only provides a significant amount of revenue to the German and UK economies but also provides thousands of jobs to British and German citizens. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reported that the industry provides over 350,000 jobs to the European market and the industry generates “multi-billion pound dividends” to the European economy. The cruise market in Germany is expected to grow by forty two percent during the next 3 years.

In a statement, Michael Ungerer, president of AIDA Cruises and chairman of the Cruise Line International Association said “By 2016 we want to reach the two million mark in Germany and there may also be a further million guests on top in the upcoming three to four years. However, this can only be achieved, if all responsible parties start to think about the necessary requirements today. The existing infrastructures in 2015 will not be sufficient for this.”