The annual MedCruise statistical report is among the flagship publications of the Association representing cruise ports in the Med and its adjoining seas. It details the actual picture of cruise activities in the region over the past year.
It reveals the trends and enables the understanding of the present challenges for ports, cruise lines, destinations and all stakeholders. It also facilitates the adjustment of MedCruise ports and associate members to contemporary market structures and dynamics. With cruise being a dynamic industry that demonstrates a remarkable capacity for growth and change, this report also provides an authoritative and most useful database and analysis of the trends that recorded in the second biggest region of the world, the Med and its adjoining seas during 2021.
For a second year however, the cruise world did not remain unaffected by the pandemic that changed social and economic lives around the globe over the last two years. In almost all parts of the world, the twelve months of 2021 represent the first steps towards the return of cruising, rather than a year to be considered as part of to pre-Covid existing trends.
In the light of these events, we have adjusted the content of our report in many respects, aiming to provide a meaningful analysis to its reader. The report:
- details what happened in 2021,
- compares these records with the respective data of 2020, revealing the considerable ‘restart’ and advancements achieved within one year, and
- compares 2021 data with what had happened in 2019, allowing an understanding of the progress towards the full return of cruising to sustainable growth. In this vein, we invite an avoidance of comparisons of 2021 data with the data and trends that had been recorded in the earlier years.
The MedCruise statistical report forms part of a series of studies conducted or commissioned by MedCruise that examine issues relevant to cruise ports. By advancing information exchanges on industry developments, organisation, administration, and management and promoting best practices, these studies increase the efficiency of MedCruise ports and associate members. Benchmarking and sharing of knowledge on several topics, including operational, regulatory, and financial issues are core parts of the life of the Association. These studies are also discussed jointly with cruise lines during the MedCruise General Assemblies – allowing MedCruise members to better understand the findings, identify the responses, and enjoy the most benefits possible.
The present edition of “Cruise activities in MedCruise ports: Statistics report 2021” is part of a long series produced by the Association for many years. The report has been developed by the MedCruise Secretariat and analyses the statistical data recorded and reported by the members of the Association.
