Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the largest cruise industry trade association and the leading authority of the global cruise community reveals details about a recent study of cruise industry. The study finds out that global demand for cruising reached 22.04 million passengers in 2014, up 68 percent from 13.1 million passengers in 2004. Since 2013, demand for cruising grew 3.4 percent, from 21.3 million passengers.

CLIA’s 2014 Economic Impact Analysis, an independent study commissioned by CLIA and conducted by Business Research and Economic Advisors (BREA), shows that total contributions of the cruise industry to the global economy reached $119.9 billion in 2014, up from $117 billion the previous year. This includes supporting 939,232 full-time equivalent employees earning $39.3 billion in income. Direct expenditures generated by cruise lines, passengers and crews totaled $55.8 billion.