The COVID-19 impact on the cruise industry: an overview

The global coronavirus pandemic has devastated the cruise sector with widespread disruptions and cancellations affecting millions of cruise passengers. The cruise industry has suffered from an enclave and enclosed environment on board, high infection rates for both crew and passengers, and widespread negative media coverage. The purpose of the study is to analyze the main impacts of COVID-19 on the cruise industry. The authors use a systematic review methodology. The article presents the current state of the global cruise industry with a focus on the main implications of COVID-19 for the industry. The authors review statistical data on the total number of cruise passengers, separately for the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, the number of cruise ships, and the leading countries of the cruise industry. The article studies in detail the state of cruise industry in Australia and Great Britain in the pre-pandemic period. In the United States, in particular in the state of Florida, the authors analyze the negative impact of COVID-19 on the region’s economy. Florida is home to the three busiest cruise ports in the world in terms of the number of passengers served annually, and it is also one of the three largest American states for the cruise industry. In the Russian Federation, in 2020, the negative impact of coronavirus infection on cruise tourism is also felt. The number of passengers on tourist cruise routes decreased by 75%, on excursion and pleasure routes - minus 59%. At the same time, in 2021, the demand for river cruises exceeded the indicators of 2020 by 50-60%.