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Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Veton Hoxhaj Veton Hoxhaj Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: August 2024 WZ H50.10DE

Revenue

€3.3bn

2024

€3.3bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€X.Xbn

Employees

3,835

Businesses

125

Wages

€XXX.Xm

Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany industry analysis

In recent years, the cruise segment has dominated the shipping industry and has consistently generated over 90% of total sales, while ferries, excursion boats and water taxis have accounted for smaller shares. In Germany, larger and more affordable ships have transformed cruises from luxury holidays into a mass-market offering that appeals to broad sections of the population. A key factor in profitability is additional income from duty-free sales and paid services on board, including massage treatments and specialised restaurants. Specialised travel agencies and tour operators play a key role by combining cruises with flights and hotels to create attractive packages. Shipping companies recently benefited from shipyard contracts signed before the pandemic, which made ships cheaper for the shipping companies than would be the case today. However, the industry has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous cruises were cancelled and fleets were shut down, and stricter hygiene and safety concepts had to be implemented, resulting in considerable financial losses. The conflict in the Middle East is currently necessitating changes to cruise itineraries, which may also lead to financial losses.Despite these challenges, demand for family holidays on cruise ships has also increased significantly in the current year, supported by a high rate of new customers. In the current year, industry turnover is expected to increase by 3.7% to 3.3 billion euros. For the period from 2019 to 2024 as a whole, there will be an average annual decline in turnover of 6.7%.IBISWorld expects the industry to grow by an average of 6.3% per year over the next five years and generate a total turnover of 4.5 billion euros in 2029. The cruise segment still has great potential for growth, as many consumers have never taken a cruise despite having sufficient funds. As the industry revitalises, the number of companies is likely to increase by 2029. The same applies to the number of employees.

Trends and Insights

  • Thanks to larger ships and cheaper tickets, cruises have become a mass business. Cruises now generate over 90% of industry revenue in most years and continue to grow in importance within the industry.
  • The majority of industry turnover is generated in the cruise business. This segment has been recording strong growth for years, which is expected to continue in the future.
  • Nearly three quarters of the companies in the sector are located in the northern region. Hamburg in particular is responsible for the significant overhang of companies in the north thanks to the harbour there.
  • The globalisation of tourism means that large shipping companies are expanding globally and buying up smaller players. The ferry operators in particular have lost market share to large cruise companies due to the boom in the cruise segment.

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 6.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €3.3bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

The cruise segment dominates the industry

  • The cruise segment now generates over 90% of industry revenue in most years and continues to grow in importance within the industry.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Restrictive measures against large ships pose challenges for the industry

  • Large ships are now an integral part of the industry, as they significantly increase efficiency and profitability. However, their increasing use has also led to a number of problems. In particular, safety risks, significant environmental impacts and infrastructural bottlenecks pose serious challenges.

Biggest companies in the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue (€m)
2024

There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.

Products & Services Segmentation

Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Cruises, Additional services in the cruise business and Other passenger transport services and services. Cruises is the largest segment of the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany.

Trends and Insights

Cruises are becoming increasingly popular

  • The majority of industry sales are generated in the cruise business. This segment has been recording strong growth for years.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The industry includes the cruise business, ferry operations, the operation of excursion boats and water taxis as well as the hire of pleasure boats for sea and coastal transport with crew. The industry does not include catering on board if this is provided by external companies. The letting of pleasure boats without a crew and the operation of floating casinos are also not part of the industry.

What's included in this industry?

CruisesAdditional services in the cruise businessOperation of ferriesOperation of water taxis

Companies

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

ONBOARD CREDIT (OBC)LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG)BLUE JOURNEY

Industry Code

WZ 2008

WZ 50.10 - Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Thanks to larger ships and cheaper tickets, cruises have become a mass business. Cruises now generate over 90% of industry revenue in most years and continue to grow in impor...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The majority of industry turnover is generated in the cruise business. This segment has been recording strong growth for years, which is expected to continue in the future.

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Nearly three quarters of the companies in the sector are located in the northern region. Hamburg in particular is responsible for the significant overhang of companies in the...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

The globalisation of tourism means that large shipping companies are expanding globally and buying up smaller players. The ferry operators in particular have lost market shar...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

AIDA Cruises has committed to reducing the carbon intensity of its fleet by 20% by 2030. The company is aiming for climate-neutral ship operations by 2050.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024

Detailed analysis

    External Environment

    Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

    Analyst insights

    The current high price of crude oil is weighing on the industry. The common shipping fuels are based on crude oil. The increased costs make it difficult for shipping companie...

    In this chapter

    • External Drivers
    • Regulation & Policy
    • Assistance

    Key metrics

    • Regulation & policy level and trend
    • Assistance level and trend

    Charts

    • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
    • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

    Detailed analysis

    • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
    • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
    • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

    Financial Benchmarks

    View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

    Analyst insights

    The cost of materials accounts for the largest share of the cost structure. This primarily includes the cost of purchasing fuel, which has recently risen due to the increase ...

    In this chapter

    • Cost Structure
    • Financial Ratios
    • Key Ratios

    Key metrics

    • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
    • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
    • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
    • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

    Charts

    • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
    • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
    • Investment vs. share of economy

    Data tables

    • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
    • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
    • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
    • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • Average Wage (2014-2029)
    • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
    • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
    • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
    • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

    Detailed analysis

    • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

    Key Statistics

    Industry Data

    Data Tables

    Including values and annual change:

    • Revenue (2014-2029)
    • IVA (2014-2029)
    • Establishments (2014-2029)
    • Enterprises (2014-2029)
    • Employment (2014-2029)
    • Exports (2014-2029)
    • Imports (2014-2029)
    • Wages (2014-2029)

    Top Questions Answered

    Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

    What is the market size of the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany in 2024?

    The market size of the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany is €3.3bn in 2024.

    How many businesses are there in the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany industry in 2024?

    There are 125 businesses in the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.3 % between 2019 and 2024.

    Has the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

    The market size of the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 6.7 % between 2019 and 2024.

    What is the forecast growth of the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

    Over the next five years, the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany is expected to grow.

    What does the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport in Germany include?

    Cruises and Additional services in the cruise business are part of the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry.

    How competitive is the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany?

    The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Sea & Coastal Passenger Water Transport industry in Germany.

    Related Industries

    Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

    Competitors

    • Inland Passenger Water Transport in Germany
    • Hotels in Germany

    Complementors

    • Tour Operators in Germany

    International industries

    • Global Deep-Sea, Coastal & Inland Water Transportation
    • Ocean & Coastal Transportation in the US
    • Ocean & Coastal Transportation in Canada
    • Water Passenger Transport in Australia
    • Water Passenger Transport in New Zealand

    View all industries in Germany

    Methodology

    How are IBISWorld reports created?

    IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

    Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

    IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

    What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

    Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

    Key data sources in Germany include:

    • German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
    • European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
    • United Nations Comtrade

    Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

    These sources include:

    • Industry and trade associations
    • Industry federations or regulators
    • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

    Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

    How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

    IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

    IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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