Cruise Passengers Growing in 2025, Expected to Be 37.7 Million Worldwide

In 2024, the number of cruise ship passengers worldwide reached 34.6 million, with the prospect of reaching 37.7 million in 2025. This is what Clia, the international association of cruise companies, records in the State of the cruise industry report. The analysis also shows that 82% of those who have been on a cruise want to return on board soon, 66% of those who have never been on a cruise are ready to do so and, above all, that approximately a third of the passengers surveyed (31%) are on board a cruise ship for the first time; demonstrating the potential of the sector.

According to the report, the number of Italians on cruises is increasing, from 900 thousand in 2019 to 1.15 million in 2024 (+28%). For these, the average age is 42 (down from 43.2 in 2019) and the preferred destination is the Mediterranean (84%), followed by the Caribbean (5.4%) and Northern Europe (5.1%). Europe and the Mediterranean, however, remain central both as a market of origin for cruise passengers, which grew overall by 2.8% in 2024, and as a destination market in 2024. This dynamism, the study states, "produces positive economic benefits. Cruise tourism represents less than 2% of global flows, but generates 168.6 billion dollars worldwide, of which 55 in Europe and 16 in Italy (2023 data)".

"Cruises - says Francesco Galietti, director of Clia Italy - continue to be one of the most dynamic sectors of tourism. Our ability to attract new customers, to satisfy multigenerational groups and to offer a wide range of experiences underlines the vitality of the sector. We are committed to innovation and sustainability and to ensure that cruising is the responsible choice for vacationers who want to experience the world. We also work constantly with destinations to innovate the offer, for a correct planning of flows, to adapt our proposals".

Among other data contained in the report, Clia highlights, it emerges that among the most enthusiastic about the cruise offer are millennials, attracted by the possibility of vacation and the variety of experiences. According to the association, then, cruises offer experiences for people of all ages. A third of cruise passengers travel in groups composed of two or more generations, while 28% of three or more generations.

As for the cruise industry, the Clia report further emphasizes, «it is innovative and investing for the future: the sector is pursuing a variety of sustainable alternative energy sources and is investing in propulsion technologies with conversion capabilities, adaptable to use low- or zero-net-emission fuels, once they become widely available. More than 61% of Clia's fleet is equipped to be able to connect to shore power, a share set to reach 72% by 2028».