New Orleans and Galveston see big jumps in cruise traffic
For a fourth straight year, the number of passengers taking cruises from New Orleans grew by almost a third in 2012, more than any other U.S. city, reports a new study by the Cruise Lines International Association.
Almost half a million cruise passengers (488,000), nearly 5% of the U.S. total, sailed from New Orleans during the year, making the state of Louisiana the nation’s 12th largest state for cruise business. Cruise employment now accounts for 2% of all jobs here.
(Citing demand in New Orleans, Carnival Cruise Lines, whose new chief executive is from the city, recently announced plans to move larger ships to the city.)
Galveston, Texas, also grew rapidly, with 31.6% more passengers debarking in 2012 than in 2011. Port Canaveral grew 15% and Long Beach grew 12%.
Nationally, the report estimated $19.6 billion in direct spending on cruise lines and a record 10 million cruise passengers traveling from United States ports. Overall economic benefits rose 4.6%, to $42.3 billion, the report said.
Among the top 10 cruise ports, Miami, New York and Baltimore saw drops in passengers from 2011 to 2012.
For more, go to http:// http://www.cruising.org/sites/default/files/pressroom/2012EconomicStudies/EconStudy_Full_Report_2012.pdf.
By Cheryl Rosen
Cheryl
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