New analyses also show that the average age of sea passengers last year was 47 years. These passengers also preferred cruises of an average duration of 7.2 days, 2% lower than the average duration in 2016 (Photo crucierum.com)

The International Association of Cruise Lines (CLIA) has updated the official figures of the world cruise industry in 2017. The industry has exceeded expectations, reaching 26.7 million sea cruises worldwide, from a forecast of 25.8 million. By 2018, taking into account the launch schedule of the new ships and the planned regional deployment, CLIA plans another positive growth with a forecast of 28 million passengers.

"Once again, the cruise industry has raised the bar and exceeded projections and expectations", said Cindy D'Aoust, President and Director General of CLIA. "I am proud to be part of this dynamic industry that continues to grow and evolve to bring the cruise holiday experience to millions of people every year."

Asia, which accounts for about 15 per cent of the total volume of maritime passengers in 2017, grew by 20.5 per cent last year, compared to 2016. United States The US and Canada experienced an impressive growth of maritime passengers in 2017 with a 5 percent increase over the previous year. Australia also achieved a positive growth of about 5%, while Europe also remains strong with a growth of 2.5% of passengers

North America represented the largest volume of maritime passengers in 2017 (49%) with a total of more than 13 million passengers of sea cruises, followed by Europe (26%) with almost seven million passengers of sea cruises.