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The President of United States of America, Barack Obama's announcement on easing off the trade and travel restrictions with Cuba is welcomed across the nation.

Many companies operating in the leisure travel industry, including cruise lines, struggled during the recession as Americans cut back on leisure spending due to high unemployment, declining median household incomes, and a lack of confidence in their future economic prospects. During this time, cruise lines deeply discounted their base fares and offered a variety of enticing promotions which kept the average capacity utilization above 100%. In 2011, improved macroeconomic conditions-as well as the arrival of new ships, which further increased capacity-served to drive sales. While increased revenues in 2010 and 2011 indicate that the industry is poised for future growth, it is also apparent that competition for cruise travelers will increase and cruise lines will need to focus their development and marketing efforts on consumer preferences to differentiate their brands.