A Record Four Million Europeans Take Cruises

A record 4 million Europeans took cruise holidays last year, according to the latest statistics unveiled Thursday by the European Cruise Council (ECC) in Brussels. The ECC 2007 “Markets Report” shows how rapidly cruise holidays are growing in popularity for European travelers. Five years ago, 2.6 million Europeans took a cruise holiday.

By 2006, that number had grown to 3.4 million, and 17 percent growth in 2007 increased the figure to a record high of 4 million. Sixty percent of Europeans chose to travel in the Mediterranean and Atlantic islands, 24 percent cruised in the Caribbean and other parts of the world, and 16 percent cruised in Northern Europe.

The top five source markets for cruise passengers in Europe in 2007 are the U.K. with 1.3 million passengers for 11 percent growth; Germany with 763,000 passengers and 8 percent growth; Italy, 640,000 passengers, 24 percent growth; Spain, 518,000 passengers, 32 percent growth; and France, 280,000 passengers, 16 percent growth.