Why Europe?
Seatrade Europe is the meeting place for high-level figures involved in the North European cruise, ferry and rivercruise industries.
What does Europe have to offer the world?
- Europe is the fastest growing cruise destination in the world 3.2m Europeans cruised in 2005, a rise of 13% year-on-year growth, Germany is the largest source market in the region representing 639,000 passengers in 2005
- The German market is one of the fastest growing in Europe with one million passengers expected to sail by 2010
- Hamburg Cruise Center opened a second terminal in April 2006 to handle a record season. It is also planning a new, state of the art cruise center in 2009
- European yards dominate the cruiseship orderbook with current orders in excess of $18bn
- The European river cruise network is the top destination with 58% of the global river cruise market
- The second biggest passenger market in the world is the UK, closely followed by Germany, Italy, France and Spain
- The Columbus Cruise Center, Bremerhaven is adding a third birth whilst Kiel is building a new €19m Cruise & Ferry Center which is planned to be ready this year. Rostock is considering another cruise quay in Warnemuende
- There are 250 ferry companies operating in Europe offering an extensive and vital network of connections within the region
- In 2006 50 more ships than in 2005 chose to let their passengers either begin or end their cruise at one of the Baltic destinations
- 197 ships in 2006, compared to 147 ships in 2005, had their turnaround in the Baltic region – a growth of 34 per cent.
* Information taken from Seatrade Cruise Review and Seatrade Insider