Cruise industry surges with Florida at the helm

Florida isn’t snoozing on cruising.

The cruise sector, according to a new report from industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association, contributed $8.49 billion to Florida’s economy in 2018, up 6.4% from 2016. That accounts for 35% of the industry’s spending nationwide states the report, the CLIA 2018 Economic Impact Analysis. Florida is the No. 1 state in the country for cruises, with direct expenditures generating a total economic impact of 154,646 jobs and $7.69 billion in wages and salaries, the report adds.