EU: Sea cruise passenger in 2017 hit 7M

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - The number of passengers embarking on a sea cruise in the EU reached 7 million in 2017, the bloc's statistical office announced on Friday.

The figure -- the latest available -- stopped the previous peak of 6.9 million in 2012, Eurostat said in a statement.

A plurality of the passengers chose Italy to start their cruises -- 1.9 million, or 27% of the EU total.

Italy was followed by Spain (1.5 million passengers, or 21%), Germany (1.1 million passengers, 16%), the U.K. (1.0 million passengers, 14%), and Belgium (0.5 million passengers, 7%).

Eurostat added that England and Spain boasted the two main departure ports in 2017.

"With 832,000 passengers recorded in 2017, Southampton in the United Kingdom was the main EU departure port for cruise passengers, ahead of Barcelona in Spain with 721,000 passengers," it said.