Texas Economy Benefits from Cruise Lines
Dallas Morning News
July 29, 2009
By Sheryl Jean
While overall travel was down last year due to the economy, the cruise line industry had a major impact in Texas.
The North American cruise line industry contributed $1.1 billion in direct spending on the Texas economy in 2008, according to a report released Wednesday by the Cruise Lines International Association. Forty-four percent of that spending went to tourism-related businesses, such as airlines and hotels.
The cruise line industry also created 18,674 jobs in Texas, paying $944 million in wages last year, the report said.
The Texas ports of Galveston and Houston boarded 387,000 passengers in 2008 mainly on cruises to the western Caribbean, according to the report. The two ports also welcomed 476,000 passenger and crew visits in 2008, generating $33.8 million in onshore spending.
Nationally, the industry's total gross economic impact was $40.2 billion last year, up 6 percent from 2007, according to the report. That included $19 billion in direct spending and 357,710 new jobs.
Texas accounted for about 6 percent of the industry's U.S. economic impact.