Southampton cruise ship industry contributes £1bn to economy

The cruise ship industry generated over £1bn to the Southampton economy and its surrounding areas.

More than 460 cruise vessel calls and 2.6 million passengers visited Southampton last year in what was a recorded year for the sector in terms of its contribution to the local economy.

Alastair Welch, ABP Regional Director, Southampton, said: “We are proud of the role we play in supporting the local, regional and national economy. While this is a record year for cruise in the City, we continue to invest in this and other port-related sectors to ensure long-term success for our Port City.”

The cruise industry supports over 15,000 jobs with a wide range of local businesses benefitting– from those closely aligned to the sector, in hospitality, stevedore operations and fuel bunkering services to the wider Hampshire visitor economy and other Southampton businesses.

Stephen Manion, Executive Director of Go Southampton, said, “Cruise passengers are a massively important part of Southampton and Hampshire’s tourist economy. ‘Cruisers’ tend to be higher spending visitors than the average and across a wider range of categories. We look forward to working with the Port of Southampton to increase not just the numbers of visitors but their ability to access the City and all that it has to offer.”

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