Alaska is one of the main growth stories for 2017 and will an estimated 995,210 passengers according to the 2017-2018 Cruise Industry News Annual Report, for a 7 percent increase over last year.

The best year for the Alaska market was 2008 with more than one million passengers, but started to drop in 2009, following the infamous head tax, and reached a low of 811,920 in 2011, before recovering as the tax was revised following industry pressure.

The traffic had been on a steady growth course from 1992 to 2008, as tracked by Cruise Industry News.

This year’s growth is also supported by Americans wanting to travel closer to home and feeling safer in Alaska than in Europe, for example.

The market leader in Alaska this year is Princess Cruises with six ships and an estimated passenger capacity of 288,450, followed by Holland America Line with seven ships and an estimated passenger capacity of 243,880.

The 2017-2018 Cruise Industry News Annual Report tracks all the different sailing regions around the world.

About the Annual Report:

The Cruise Industry News Annual Report is the only book of its kind, presenting the worldwide cruise industry through 2027 in 400 pages.

Statistics are independently researched. See a preview of last year’s edition by clicking here.

The report covers everything from new ships on order to supply-and-demand scenarios from 1987 through 2027+. Plus there is a future outlook, complete growth projections for each cruise line, regional market reports, and detailed ship deployment by region and market, covering all the cruise lines.

Order the 2017-2018 edition today.