June 23, 2025
The Cruise Industry and the EU Shipbuilding industry in focus at the TUI Brussels Policy Breakfast
Public Policy
Against the backdrop of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice—where the EU presented its long-anticipated Oceans Pact—TUI Group hosted a high-level Policy Breakfast at its Brussels office.
Under the theme “Powering Europe’s Shipyards”, the event brought together EU policymakers, shipbuilding and cruise industry leaders, as well as regional stakeholders to explore how Europe’s cruise sector can play a pivotal role in delivering the ambitions of the upcoming EU Maritime Industrial Strategy and the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP). From innovation and decarbonisation to economic resilience, the sector is positioned as both an industrial powerhouse and an innovator providing solutions for the green transition.
Cruises as Catalysts of Industrial Competitiveness
Maritime transport remains indispensable to the global economy and to European sovereignty: over 90% of global goods are transported by sea. Within this sector, Europe holds a unique industrial advantage—building 97% of the world’s cruise ships and supporting over 400,000 jobs in high-tech ecosystems.
In the words of Dr Reinhard Lüken, Managing Director of the German Shipyards Association:
“Cruises have played a key role in maintaining and enhancing our industrial base in Europe over the past couple of decades, it is thanks to cruises that Europe’s shipbuilding industry is well placed today at an international level. Cruise ships are instrumental in continuing to advance production, knowledge and expertise, as these are the most complex commercial vessels; 'the floating cities of the future', already implementing technologies that will probably be found in modern cities on shore in around 20 years from now.”
Yet cruise ships alone are not enough to sustain the full value chain, warned Dr Lüken:
“While the world's four largest and most advanced cruise shipbuilders are EU based, and this specialisation has made EU shipbuilding successful, in other shipbuilding market segments it has been declining dramatically. In order to maintain the full scope of a top performing shipbuilding value chain, we need a sufficient number of units, which cannot be achieved by cruise ships and other high-end vessels alone.”
Ms Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, reinforced this idea:
“Cruise lines are long-term industrial partners. Every vessel ordered here in Europe strengthens local supply chains, drives environmental innovation, and supports European jobs. We are consistently focusing on energy efficiency and have equipped our ships with state-of-the-art propulsion technologies. Now to ensure that the green transition does not become a burden, the production of low emission fuels needs to be ramped up."
Smart Climate Policy and European Technology
TUI itself has set a target to reduce cruise GHG emissions by 27.5% by 2030, compared to 2019—a goal validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). According to Ms Meier, some operations could even reach carbon neutrality ahead of 2050.
To meet these goals, TUI’s cruise brands are deploying a mix of measures, including onshore power connections, retrofitting, and the use of alternative fuels such as bio-LNG and green methanol. Notably, Mein Schiff 7, built in Finland, is the world’s first methanol-ready cruise ship, marking a significant technological step.
Yet while vessels are ready for shoreside electricity, many ports are not. TUI has increased port calls using onshore power by 38% for Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd, but infrastructure must keep pace. A forthcoming EU Port Strategy is expected to address these gaps.
The discussion also pointed to the STIP as a vehicle to mobilise investment into green infrastructure and sustainable fuels. Experts argued that existing regulatory frameworks—such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)—should be retooled to support industrial decarbonisation by reinvesting revenues into European-made technologies.
MEP Jens Gieseke emphasised the broader legislative context:
“The Net Zero Industrial Act will play a crucial role in Germany’s and Europe’s industrial heartland, to foster innovation, ramp up the production of alternative fuels and unlock new funding schemes to fulfil these goals.”
Economic and Social Impact
Shipbuilding is more than an industrial asset—it is a job engine. MEP Gieseke noted the sector’s regional importance, citing Meyer Werft in Lower Saxony as a case in point. He also welcomed the commitment of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas to advancing a new maritime strategy.
Wybcke Meier highlighted the cruise sector’s local footprint:
“TUI Cruises’ economic contribution to European tourism destinations—accounting only for port fees and shore excursions—amounts to €53 million per year. On top of this, comes guest spending.”
According to the Cruise Lines International Association, cruise passengers spend around €700 per person in port cities during a seven-day cruise, and more than half return for longer visits—further boosting local economies.
Stronger Policy Alignment: From Rotterdam to Szczecin
The Policy Breakfast echoed growing political momentum. At the recent European Cruise Week in Rotterdam, Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas stated:
“This is not just about ships. It’s about industrial innovation, regional development, and the heart of Europe’s blue economy. We need to do more to support the cruise sector—not just as a mode of travel, but as a strategic industrial asset.”
This message was reinforced two weeks ago at the Informal Meeting of Maritime Affairs Ministers in Szczecin, Poland, where 20 EU Member States adopted the Szczecin Declaration—a joint commitment to enhancing the global competitiveness and resilience of Europe’s shipping, shipbuilding, and maritime industries.
The declaration explicitly recognises cruise shipbuilding as a key pillar for Europe's maritime future, calling on the EU to:
“Maintain existing shipbuilding industrial base in the EU with complex and value-added ships and platforms, including cruise ships and inland navigation vessels, whilst regaining leadership in ferries, shortsea vessels, and becoming a global leader in floating technologies.”
TUI’s Commitment to a Sustainable Industrial Transition
TUI’s Policy Breakfast served as both a call to action and a platform for alignment. As the EU moves to implement the Oceans Pact, the Competitiveness Compass, the Maritime Industrial Strategy, and STIP, the cruise sector stands ready to lead—with ships that are not only cleaner and smarter, but that also embody European innovation, jobs, and global leadership.
Europe has the tools. It has the talent. Now, with the right political support and strategic investment, it can also have the most advanced, sustainable, and competitive shipbuilding sector in the world.