The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Tourism Summit was held at the Port of Tyne earlier this week.
The Summit brought together cruise industry leaders, alongside government, representatives from the UK’s devolved administrations, as well as ports and visit groups. Together, they discussed the future of cruise tourism in the UK, and how the benefits that cruise brings to local communities can be spread further across the country.
The Minister for Tourism, Stephanie Peacock MP addressed the summit via video link highlighting the Government's “shared vision of how we can ensure the sector can sustain its role as a powerful engine of economic activity”. The Minister also praised the role of the sector in the UK’s wider tourism ecosystem in an address which celebrated that the UK remains the third largest cruise source market in the world. She also discussed the opportunities that this brings for those working in tourism and hospitality, the industry’s supply chain, and for travel agents across the country.
The Summit saw a series of panel sessions on board Fred. Olsen’s Balmoral highlighting the role of Cruise tourism on the UK’s economy as well as an exclusive workshop for LVEPS, DMOS and other destination organisations focusing on how cruise and destinations can work together.
Travel Trade Manager for North East England, Alex MacKenzie was invited to be part of a panel focusing on Cruise Tourism as a Driver of Local and Regional Economic Growth, alongside Matthew Dass, Director at Tourism Economics, Laura Osborne, WPI Economics and Melanie Henderson, Cruise Scotland.
The cruise sector is a major contributor to the UK’s economy, totaling £6.3 billion in 2024 (including direct, indirect and induced output), while supporting 69,000 jobs across the country. Speakers at the Summit, discussed the great potential for this to be grown further so long as the UK remains competitive in the global cruise market.
It was fantastic to be part of such a significant event right here in the North East. The region welcomes thousands of cruise passengers every year through the Port of Tyne and we are working closely with the Port and Cruise providers to ensure we have the best experiences and products available to give those visitors a truly memorable trip in the North East.
The cruise industry is an integral part of the UK’s visitor economy, driving growth, creating jobs and supporting high streets and businesses across all four nations. In the UK Cruise Growth Plan published last year, we set out our shared vision of how we can ensure the sector can sustain its role as a powerful engine of economic activity and thrive long into the future. Building on the success of the sector, we remain committed to supporting the UK’s visitor economy as a whole. That’s why we are developing a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy which will provide a clear, long-term plan to unlock investment, support businesses and increase visitor flows across England.
It has been a pleasure to welcome delegates from across industry and government to our second Cruise Tourism Summit, and to celebrate the range of benefits that our sector brings to the UK. Cruise continues to be a driver of growth and opportunity for local economies across the UK. This success is a testament to the collaboration between cruise lines, ports, destinations, and suppliers, who work together to provide incredible experiences to all those who visit our shores. With the right Government policies that enable the UK to remain competitive, there is great potential for the contributions of cruise to grow further in the years to come.
For more information on Travel Trade in North East England go to https://traveltrade.destinationnortheastengland.co.uk/
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