Special To NAN
News Americas, TAMPA, FL, Fri. Jan. 11, 2013: Florida is tipped to dominate the port market in 2013, with Cruise Industry News Quarterly predicting that the state will witness a record year for cruises.
The continued growth in cruises to and from the region is partly down to its attraction as a tourist destination, as over seventy-five million people visit the state each year. Port director at the Port of Miami, Bill Johnson, claims that the city of Miami is a contributing factor to the success of cruises in Florida. He says that the port is on track to host approximately five million passengers by 2020 and states that cruise ships in Miami are expected to achieve a total of over four million passengers in 2013.
Popularity as a Departure Port
The cruise industry as a whole has experienced a boom in recent years, with Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises proving to be the most popular choices. Florida’s close proximity to the Caribbean has been cited as a reason for the popularity of its ports. Nine of the top ten world’s most popular cruise ports are situated either in the Caribbean or close by, meaning that Florida is perfectly positioned to act as a departure point for ships embarking upon cruises to some of the most-visited destinations. It is therefore perhaps little wonder it contains two of the top ten most popular cruise departure ports, with Fort Lauderdale occupying the number one spot. According to Cruise Industry News Quarterly, one third of all cruises sail out of ports in Florida.
Adapting to the Changes
In order to accommodate their growth in popularity, Florida’s ports are continuing multimillion-dollar projects to enhance and upgrade piers, terminals and related infrastructures. Port director for Port Everglades, Steven Cernak, says that he will be endeavoring to remain a step ahead of where the cruise industry is going. He has stated that he is working towards positive growth and listed his priorities as sustaining current business and the development of further business. Port Everglades saw fewer passengers in 2012 than it did in 2011 but is tipped for an increase in 2013.
Port of Tampa
The Port of Tampa was one of 2012’s success stories, seeing record numbers of passengers. There were over nine hundred and seventy thousand passengers, which was up eleven percent from the previous year. An impressive thirteen thousand one hundred and four passengers embarked and disembarked from the port within a single day on November 11th 2012. Senior director of marketing, Wade Elliot, says that the cruise industry plays an important role in enabling the Port of Tampa to remain financially strong in spite of the recession. The port is continuing to make enhancements and upgrades in order to ensure that it remains just as profitable. Last year, it completed three and a half million dollars worth of upgrades, which included substantial aesthetic enhancements to a terminal and the construction of a new passenger bridge.
Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is another Florida port that is currently prospering. Over three and a half million passengers embarked upon multi-day cruises in 2012, which is up twenty-one percent from 2011. The port has adapted to this by opening a new sixty-million-dollar ninety-thousand-square-foot port terminal complex. It is hoping to see a rapid rate of continued growth in 2013.
Implications for the Caribbean
Florida is one of a number of regions in the Americas that are benefiting from the global trend towards cruise holidays. The fact that it is popular as both a location to visit and a destination to set out from means that it is likely to remain at the forefront of the cruise industry well into the future. The state’s cruise industry generates over a hundred and thirty thousand jobs and wages of nearly six billion dollars. Florida handles more cruise ship passengers than any other US state, making its ports an invaluable asset in such difficult economic times. The fact that more money is being spent on cruises from the region is also beneficial to the Caribbean, as it means that greater numbers of US tourists are likely to visit the islands, injecting much-needed money into them. Many Caribbean islands are dependent upon tourism so this will be likely to provide them with a further boost to their economies.
