Second time for the Mexican Caribbean destination

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Conference and Trade Show will take place this year in Cozumel for the second time, bringing with it the potential for a significant economic boost.

The show, which will be held Oct. 5-9, has in previous years helped to increase passenger and vessel arrivals; spur the development of new piers and cruise destinations; and provide a chance to spotlight destinations’ products, experiences, and infrastructure.

Cozumel and Mexico experienced, respectively, 21 percent and 10 percent passenger arrival increases after hosting the conference for their first time in 2007, according to the FCCA.

This growth continued even in subsequent years, and the economic growth spread far beyond the cruise sector– the increase in cruise tourism traffic brought in $565.4 million in passenger, crew, and cruise line spending to the country’s economy, in addition to 15,990 jobs and $93.5 million in wages.

A 2009 BREA study Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Destination Economies calculated an average expenditure per passenger in Cozumel of $104.58, benefitting a variety of industries including those of food and beverage, retail shops, ground transportation, and more.

Should this year’s conference generate the same rate of success, the impact in will generate $69.4 million in passenger spending alone, the FCCA said.