An independent economic impact report shows Carnival Corporation is set to contribute more than £2.5bn to the UK’s economy over the next five years.
Carnival is the world’s largest cruise company – owning the likes of Princess Cruises, Cunard, Carnival Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Costa, Holland-America Line, Aida, and Seabourn. Its British arm, Carnival UK acts as the operating company for P&O Cruises and Cunard, and it is these brands that are driving the group’s business in Britain.
The new research, commissioned independently from WPI Economics, is the first of its kind to be independently researched and audited, using data from across parent company Carnival Corporation’s entire UK-based operations.
The breakdown includes £147m, annually, in return visits from cruisers, £351m in Gross Value Added based on Carnival UK’s 1,650-strong employee base in Southampton, and over £100m generated in travel agent commission fees.
Carnival UK & P&O Cruises president, Paul Ludlow said: “As the largest cruise operator in the UK, we are extremely proud that our organisation will be contributing over £2.5 billion to the UK economy over the next five years. This is particularly important given our impact in the Solent where we are the largest private sector employer in Southampton, especially at a time when economic growth is of utmost importance to the country.”
