Brits love affair with cruising blossoms

British people took more cruises than any other country in Europe last year, according to the latest cruise statistics released today.

The annual figures from the Passenger Shipping Association included statistics provided by the European Cruise Council for the first time. They showed 1.03 million Brits took a cruise last year, a 7% rise on 2003, compared to 551,000 Germans and 400,000 Italians.

PSA director William Gibbons said the cruise industry now represented 5% of the UK package-holiday market. “With the current rate of growth, I anticipate we will reach 1.5 million ocean passengers by 2010.”

Cruising is the fastest growing sector in the UK travel industry, with £1.24 billion spent last year.