PortMiami smashed its own world record in 2019, reporting a 22 percent increase in cruise passenger totals.
The Cruise Capital of the World hosted an all-time high 6,824,000 passengers for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2019, PortMiami confirmed on Tuesday.
Officials attributed the dramatic growth to the development of new business. For example, Royal Caribbean International officially opened Cruise Terminal A, the Crown of Miami, in late 2018 and transitioned the world's largest ship in Symphony of the Seas to Miami.
Other notable cruise ship arrivals include Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss; Carnival Cruise Line's new Carnival Horizon; Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Star and Viking Sun and MSC Cruises' MSC Armonia.
"The strong performance at PortMiami, one of Miami-Dade County's main economic engines, is great news for our community," said Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, in a statement. "The growth figures confirm our role as a leading global gateway and demonstrate the continuing draw of the Port. I am proud of what we've been able to accomplish. I want to thank our cruise and cargo partners for working with PortMiami's Director and CEO Juan M. Kuryla and his team on extending their business relationships. I will continue to work with the Port and its partners on additional opportunities. Everybody stands to gain from sustainable growth at our seaport."
Looking ahead, PortMiami announced that it has secured a series of long-term deals and new terminal developments with a handful of key partners, including Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Bahamas, Terminal Link Miami, and Virgin Voyages.
The partnerships are expected to generate about $7.8 billion in economic impact to South Florida and support as many as 27,500 new direct, induced and indirect jobs annually.
"New facilities, including cruise terminals and berths, are in the works to accommodate the industry's new generation of vessels," said the Chairwoman of the Tourism and the Ports Committee Rebeca Sosa in a statement. "I am so proud of PortMiami, what it has accomplished, and where it's heading."
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