In 2023, one in four global cruise guests came from Europe. The region is one of the
, ranking only behind North America for passenger volume. While the number of
experienced a dramatic decline with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it bounced back to over eight million in 2023, the highest figure reported to date. As the number of cruise travelers recovered from the impact of COVID-19, so did the
, peaking at nearly 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.
What are the major European cruise markets?
When considering the
leading European cruise markets based on sourced passengers, Germany topped the ranking in 2023, ahead of the United Kingdom and Ireland, Italy, Spain, and France. Combined, these five major European cruise hubs accounted for almost 90 percent of passengers traveling from the region. Among these leading markets, France reported the
highest annual increase in the number of passengers sourced in 2023, with the volume of guests growing by nearly 80 percent. Meanwhile, looking at the
most popular cruise destinations for Europeans, the Central and Western Mediterranean recorded the highest number of travelers that year, with just under three million guests. Another two European destinations, Northern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, followed on the list.
What are the busiest cruise ports in Europe?
One of the most popular cruise destinations, the Mediterranean, welcomed over 33 million passengers in 2023, with the
number of cruise travelers at Mediterranean ports rising by 6.6 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. That year, Barcelona in Spain and Civitavecchia in Italy – a municipality of the metropolitan city of Rome – had the highest traffic, with around 3.6 million and 3.3 million passenger movements, respectively. Aside from Mediterranean countries, Atlantic and Baltic seaports are other renowned locations for the European cruise market. In 2023, Hamburg and Lisbon were the
leading cruise ports in Atlantic Europe based on passenger volume. Meanwhile, Kiel and Copenhagen led the ranking of
major cruise ports in the Baltic, followed by Rostock, Oslo, and Kristiansand.
What are the main challenges for the cruise market in Europe?
While cruises were one of the travel and tourism industries most dramatically hit by COVID-19, the market quickly proved its resilience. Although this positive trend is expected to continue, there is certainly no lack of challenges. Aside from the financial losses accumulated during the pandemic, some popular European destinations such as
Venice and
Amsterdam are trying to cut back cruise traffic as part of their strategies to tackle overtourism. This shows that issues like sustainability and finding alternative popular destinations in the region are important to ensure that the European cruise market will not be in choppy waters in the years to come.
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