by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:55 AM ET, Fri April 10, 2026
The global cruise industry generated $98.5 billion to the global gross domestic product in 2024, supporting 1.8 million jobs, according to a new in-depth research report called “Cruising for Impact,” published by The World Travel & Tourism Council.
The report highlights the long-term impact of cruising on port communities and its potential to create jobs and support positive social outcomes, from diversity and inclusion initiatives to cultural preservation.
It also provides decision-makers with recommendations to maximize the positive impact of cruising on the world.
“Cruise tourism brings real and lasting positive benefits to communities around the world,” said Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC. “When travelers discover a destination through cruising and choose to return, they create ongoing opportunities for local businesses, support jobs and contribute to the long-term vitality of those communities. This report highlights the powerful positive impact of cruise tourism, showing how it connects people, supports livelihoods, and creates shared value for destinations around the world.”
The Cruise Industry in Numbers
According to the report, one job is supported by every twenty cruise passengers worldwide. Beyond ship staff and crew, cruising supports over 1.4 million jobs onshore and indirectly supports tourism-related businesses, from small shops to tour operators.
Cruising is also a first step towards longer land-based stays: over 60% of cruise passengers return to the destinations they visited first on a cruise, creating longer-term tourism benefits for port destinations. In 2024, over 34 million travelers took at least one cruise.
The research also projects cruise passenger capacity to grow by 19% between 2022 and 2028.
Cruising’s Positive Impact
Beyond the data, the report also showcases the positive impact the cruise industry has on the ports it touches, from creating permanent jobs and helping fund cultural preservation initiatives to funding accessibility and sustainability projects.
The cruise industry also responds in times of crisis, delivering much-needed supplies, even sheltering those who’ve lost their homes to hurricanes and other natural disasters, and supporting causes like Mercy Ships, which provides critical surgical care to those throughout Africa with limited access to medical care.
The cruise industry is also incredibly global, with over 150 countries represented among crew and business leaders.
Approximately 40% of the segment’s senior leadership roles are held by women, while 90% of women seafarers work within the cruise segment. Over 50% of women in the cruise segment hold mid-level or higher positions.
Cruising and Overtourism
Lastly, the report touches on a highly discussed topic in the cruise industry: overtourism.
Eighty percent of tourists visit just 10% of the world’s destinations, creating some very high-profile accounts of overcrowding and overtourism from London to Venice to Barcelona.
The Cruise Lines International Association, along with individual cruise lines, actively works with port destinations worldwide to address the issue of overtourism. Dubrovnik’s “Respect the City” initiative, for example, introduced scheduling caps, visitor monitoring and staggered ship arrival times, which reduced foot traffic in the historic Old Town by 13% while maintaining the economic benefits of cruise tourism.
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