COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Maritime Cruise Industry

Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping, 198035, 5/7, Dvinskaya str, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

^* Corresponding author: smirnovab@gumrf.ru

Abstract

Over the past 15 years, sea cruising has been one of the most sought after and profitable trips in the tourism industry, but the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 has made a difference. This topic is relevant, as identifying the key areas for sea cruise recovery and how to implement them in the face of a new coronavirus infection is a major prospect for the development of the field. There is a need to understand how the cruise industry can avert a large-scale crisis and over what period of time this can happen. This article has identified the main reasons for the collapse of the sea cruise industry in the face of a new coronavirus infection. It also analysed statistics on passenger traffic, cash turnover and financial results of the world’s five largest cruise companies, comparing their main characteristics. The article identified the main precautions that have been taken on cruise ships to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 after the reopening of cruise companies in mid-2021. The prospects for resumption of sea cruises and the negative factors that reduce their attractiveness, based on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, were also considered.