brands for specific markets or segments, as well as through acquisi- tions of other companies to which they maintain their commercial name. “Due to a high immobilization ratio, it is essential for cruise lines to keep their ships continuously operational and with high occupancy rates that maximize operational profitability.” From the point of view of demand, North America is the main out- bound market, followed by Europe. Since most cruisers choose itineraries close to their place of origin, the Caribbean is the re- gion that attracts the largest number of cruisers throughout the year (32%), followed by the Mediterranean (17%), pre-pandemic percentages. At the European level, Germany and England are the most powerful issuing markets and the most frequent visi- tors to Spain. In Asia, China stands out, with a population of over 1,300 million people and a growing upper-middle class with high purchasing power, which suggests that in the future it will be- come one of the main cruise ship issuers worldwide. 62