I-MIAMI - Bambalwa abantu baseMelika abahamba ngeenqanawa ngo-2008 kune-2007, ngokwedatha entsha yoshishino, ebonisa ukuba indawo ephambili yokuhamba ngenqanawa inokuba buthathaka nangona ukukhula okuqhubekayo kwixesha lokudlula kwihlabathi liphela.
Okokuqala ukusukela ngo-1998, xa i-Cruise Lines International Association yaqala ukupapasha iingxelo zempembelelo yezoqoqosho, iinqanawa zokuhamba ngenqanawa ezimbalwa zasuka kwizibuko zase-US ngo-2008 kunonyaka ophelileyo.
Kutshanje nje ngo-2004, uhambo lwaseMelika lwabalelwa kwi-77 pesenti yazo zonke iinqanawa zokuhamba ngenqanawa. Kunyaka ophelileyo izabelo zabo zehle zaya kutsho kuma-69 ekhulwini njengoko ishishini likhula eYurophu.
Ngokomzekelo, iNorwegian Cruise Lines, yalibhaptiza kwakhona iNqanaba laseHawaii njengeNorwegian Jade kwaye ngoku ihamba ngomkhumbi unyaka wonke eYurophu. Ukuhamba kwe-Pride kunye nenqanawa yodade eyafuduka eHawaii isiya eMiami kutyholwa ngokuhla kweepesenti ezingama-59 kwi-Honolulu, ngelixa i-cruise traffic esuka eMiami inyuke nge-11 ekhulwini.
Kodwa ukwehla kweenqanawa zaseMelika akuzange kugcine itrafikhi iyonke okanye ingeniso ekukhuleni phakathi kuka-2007 no-2008. Kulo nyaka uphelileyo abantu abazizigidi ezili-13.05 kwihlabathi jikelele bakhe baphumla kwenye yeenqanawa ezinkulu, iinqanawa zolwandle - ukunyuka kwe-4 ekhulwini. Ingeniso epheleleyo inyuke ngeepesenti ezisi-9 yaya kutsho kwi-24.88 yeebhiliyoni zeedola kwaye inkcitho iyonke e-US inyuke ngepesenti ezi-2 ukuya kutsho kwi-19 leebhiliyoni zeerandi, nangona oko yayiyeyona nto incinci yokwenyuka kwimbali yengxelo.
“Ngo-2008, xa siqwalasela yonke le nto iqhubekayo, sinikezela ngengxelo yokunyuka kwe-2 ekhulwini. Maninzi amashishini apha angathanda ukunika ingxelo ngalo naluphi na ulwando,” utshilo uBob Sharak, umlawuli olawulayo weCruise Lines International Association. "Elona nqaku likhulu ekufuneka silithathe kuxa abanye abantu bebandezeleka kakhulu, siyakwazi ukubonisa ukonyuka."
I-traffic yabakhweli yaseMelika inyuke nganye kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo, nangona iipesenti ezinciphayo, kwaye ekugqibeleni zajika zaba zimbi ngo-2008. Malunga ne-9.3 yezigidi zabakhweli bathatha ii-cruise ezivela e-US kwi-2008, i-1.7 yepesenti yehla.
Ukongeza kwilahleko yetrafikhi ye-Honolulu, ukuhamba ngenqanawa kwaseMelika kwabetha iNkanyamba i-Ike eGalveston, eTexas, apho ukuqalisa kwehle ngama-28 ekhulwini. Kwaye iNew Orleans ilahlekelwe yi-30.6 yeepesenti yokuqalisa kwayo. IFlorida, ebalelwa kwi-57 yeepesenti yazo zonke iinqanawa zokuhamba ngeenqanawa, yabona ukunyuka kwe-2.7% ukuya kwi-5.1 yezigidi.
U-Sharak akacingi ukuba imakethi yaseMelika ikhulile. Uthe eli shishini liqhuba kakuhle ngo-2008 de kwafikelela imeko yezoqoqosho ngoSeptemba.
ICarnival Cruise Lines, umzekelo, ibeka inqanawa yayo entsha yeCarnival Dream unyaka wonke eMelika. Isithethi sika Jennifer de la Cruz sithe inkampani iza kuthwala abakhweli abaninzi baseMntla Melika ngo-2009 kunawo nawuphi na unyaka kwimbali yenkampani.
Kodwa abaqhubi banokungakulungeli ukuchacha ngokukhawuleza ekuweni. I-Royal Caribbean ngoJanuwari ibike ukuhla kweepesenti ezingama-98 kwingeniso yekota yesine. Kwaye yabona ilahleko yezigidi ezingama-36 kwikota yokuqala ka-2009. Inkampani kulindeleke ukuba ikhulule iziphumo zekota yesibini ngoLwesithathu kodwa yalumkisa ngenyanga edlulileyo ukuba ukunyuka kwamaxabiso amafutha kunye nokuqhambuka komkhuhlane wehagu kuya kulimaza iziphumo zayo zonyaka opheleleyo.
Zombini iRoyal Caribbean kunye nenkampani enkulu ekhuphisana nayo iCarnival baye bawanciphisa amaxabiso okugcwalisa iinqanawa kwiinyanga zamva nje - ngeziphumo ezidibeneyo. Kwikota eyaphela ngoMeyi 31, inzuzo yeCarnival yehla ngeepesenti ezingama-32 ukusuka kunyaka ophelileyo, kodwa inkampani isafumana i-264 yezigidi zeedola. Nangona kunjalo, iphinde yehlisa isikhokelo sonyaka wonke ikhankanya amaxabiso aphezulu epetroli.
