The cruise industry will remain on the positive trajectory in the coming year, a new report issued by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) shows.

Specifically, a projected 27.2 million passengers are expected to set sail in 2018. In 2017, an estimated 25.8 million passengers cruised compared to a confirmed 24.7 million passengers in 2016, an increase of 20.5 percent over five years from 2011-2016, according to the 2018 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook.

To meet the ongoing demand, more ships are scheduled to set sail in 2018. CLIA cruise lines are scheduled to debut 27 new ocean, river and specialty ships in the coming year.

“It is without question that the cruise industry continues on a growth trajectory, gaining in consumer interest and creating a positive impact on the global economy,” Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA, commented.

“The 2018 State of the Cruise Industry Outlook is a way for us to keep a finger on the pulse of the global cruise industry and its impact on the global economy and identify new travel trends that will influence cruise travel in the future,” D’Aoust added.

Cruise industry expenditures generated USD 126 billion in total output worldwide, supporting more than one million full-time equivalent employees who earned USD 41 billion in income, an increase from previous years.