Cruise ships boost Dutch economy by €360 million

The cruise industry has been good to the Dutch economy; cruise passengers spent no less than €357 million in 2013, 1.6 percent more than the year before.

Figures from Cruise Lines International Association CLIA say that the Netherlands was visited by 228,800 international cruise ship passengers last year; 96,000 passengers boarded ships in the Netherlands. LIA reports that of the €357 million in earnings, €268.5 million was from cruise ship companies purchasing supplies and fuel and booking overnight stays at hotels in the Netherlands.

Another €30.6 million was earned from the passengers boarding cruise ships in the Netherlands. The 228,000 passengers who visited the Netherlands spent €10.5 million, while crews spent €2.1 million.

Of the largest cruise ship havens in the Netherlands –Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Ijmuiden-, the Passenger Terminal in Amsterdam clocked the most passengers, 161,749 in total.

CLIA says that the number of Dutch people who went on a cruise vacation has also increased to 114,000 in 2013, which represents 4.2 percent growth in comparison to 2012.