After an unprecedented period for the whole world in 2020, when everything did not move at its normal pace and even came to a standstill, the cruise industry expects to come back "in force" in 2022.

The truth is that early in 2020, the sectors demonstrated unsustainability, and efforts to reverse the situation brought some value. During the transition to 2021 the cruise industry sailed 50% of the fleet, clearly implementing the world's most comprehensive and secure anti-Covid-19 protocols.

This is, at least the conviction of the organization of the "International Cruise Summit", which will celebrate its 11th edition on November 17 and 18 in Madrid. The event is expected to bring together the entire industry to discuss and analyze the future of the sector and the new post-pandemic scenario.

All indications are that by the end of 2021, large shipowners will have an average of 80% of their fleet in operation, and over the course of the next year, 33 new ships will be launched, 13 of them large ships (over 100,000 gross tons). The experience of the past months has led operators to become more concerned about hygiene and environmental issues. In fact, on this last issue, six of these ships already use Liquefied Natural Gas as fuel, which eliminates 100% of sulfur oxide emissions and 30% of carbon.

"The shipping companies observe an exceptional level of reservations for 2022, especially in the second half," says the organization of the event in a statement. Moreover, and speaking on behalf of the companies, those responsible for the "International Cruise Summit" admit that after two summers with travel restrictions and difficult coexistence with the virus, consumers are wanting not only to travel, but to do it with pomp, indulging in luxuries with the money saved.

Currently, all passengers boarding a cruise ship must have previously passed a coronavirus test, and even, on many companies, only fully vaccinated people can board.

As for the event that will take place in the Spanish capital over the next few days, there will be several topics up for debate, from the recovery of the cruise industry and tourist destinations, to the challenges of re-recruiting all the workers the sector needs, and how to recover pre-pandemic sales and price levels.