The number of ocean cruises taken by UK and Irish passengers increased by two percent to 2,009,000 in 2018 and thus exceeded the two million mark for the first time, figures released by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) show.
The market had recorded 1.96 million passengers in 2017 and 1.95 million in the previous year. The UK and Ireland market became the second one after Germany to reach 2.0 million passengers. In 2010, senior Carnival UK officials forecast that the 2.0 million mark would be reached by 2020, which eventually did happen two years earlier.
Andy Harmer, CLIA UK & Ireland director, said: “2018 was an impressive year for the UK and Ireland cruise industry. Surpassing the two million mark is a significant milestone, as it illustrates how cruise has become a major player within the UK and Irish travel sector.”
“As only the second European market to reach over two million cruises and the fourth globally, this figure demonstrates the continued strength of cruising as a mainstream holiday choice in the UK and Ireland and is a testament to the industry’s resilience to economic and political changes, ” he said a statement.
