Cruise Britain has released figures indicating that the cruise sector continues to grow with increased call numbers and embarkations from British ports.

The association said in a press release that in a first for Britain, over 2,500 calls were welcomed across the year, with May seeing the highest monthly figure.

Ian McQuade, chair of Cruise Britain, said: “57 ports welcomed a cruise ship in 2024, which is in line with historical figures. Cruise Britain works with the large majority of these ports, and we see the dedication, professionalism and investment that is evident across the country.”

“In addition, our service providers are the backbone of the delivery of every call and of the successful guest experience. The number of ships calling into the UK has reached 134, which represents around a third of the world’s ocean-going cruise ship fleet,” added McQuade.

Growth for embarkation rates was particularly marked, with the number of guests embarking on their cruise at a UK port exceeding 1.6 million for the first time; this record year shows 9.9 percent growth and topples 2023’s previous record.

Regarding transit passengers ashore for a day in the UK, ports welcomed over two million guests, a slight consolidation over 2023 — a year that saw exponential growth, the press release said.

With each transit passenger being worth a conservative average of £80 to the local tourism economy every time they step ashore, the visitor figure for 2024 means a vital tourism injection of around £170 million to Britain’s coastal economies.

The press release said this is in addition to the economic benefit of cruise line and port operations. In a boost to the inbound tourism economy, figures show that over three-quarters of transit passengers were overseas visitors, with key markets continuing to be the USA and Germany.

McQuade added: “Britain and Ireland cruise popularity goes from strength-to-strength with the diverse multi-country story of discovery really resonating with visitors, whether they be international guests, as the vast majority are, or UK residents exploring their own country.”

“With the imminent first anniversary of the MOU with Cruise Ireland, we see an increased opportunity to drive growth in the British Isles cruising region. Looking ahead, we expect that the current season will continue to build on the strong 2024 figures,” added McQuade.