Caribbean destinations earned over $1.9 billion from cruise tourism this year

Regional cruise tourism in 2011-2012 generated more than US$1.9 billion in direct expenditures, 45,000 jobs and $728 million in employee wages among 21 destinations.

Passengers spend the most money of watches, jewelry, and clothes offshore. Photo by MBarrison.

This is according to a study commissioned by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and conducted by the Business Research and Economic Advisors (BREA) to analyze spending by passengers, crew members and cruise lines in the 21 destinations surveyed.

Among BREA's findings were that 15.44 million cruise passengers spent US$1.48 billion in the participating destinations, with per passenger expenditures ranging from US$185.40 in St Maarten to $27.10 in St Vincent and the Grenadines and averaging $95.92.