Will Italian cruise tragedy affect industry?

SALT LAKE CITY — The tragic sinking of an Italian cruise liner may have little long-term effect one of the world's most popular travel industries.

The Friday night capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the Tuscan coast has left at least 11 people dead, according to the latest reports on Tuesday. Despite the loss of life and disturbing images seen by people around the globe, analysts said a prolonged negative impact on the cruise industry, particularly in America, is unlikely.

"People just think, 'That happened in Italy, it's not going to happen when we go,'" said Linda Smith, travel consultant for Andavo Travel in Murray. "People don't think of the (negative) things that could happen." 

Smith noted that one of the possible issues contributing to the Costa Concordia disaster was the claim that the passengers had not been properly briefed on safety procedures.

"The first thing you do is put on your life jacket and go to your muster station," she said. "They hadn't even done that. Usually there is a lot more preparation."

Safety standards for large passenger ships grew out of a convention in 1914, two years after the Titanic disaster. The rules were eventually adopted by the International Maritime Organization — an agency of the United Nations.

Among the requirements: ships must have public address systems for announcements to passengers; lifeboats must be fully or partially enclosed; ships must have evacuation chutes, similar to what airplanes have; and ships also must hold weekly "abandon ship" and fire drills.

International standards require that lifeboats must be capable of being loaded, launched and maneuvered away from the ship within 30 minutes of the signal to abandon ship. The lifeboats on the Costa Concordia were apparently inaccessible because of the ship's rapid tilting.

Smith said that even with incidents such as this latest disaster, cruises are among the safest travel options available.

The Cruise Lines International Association, an industry trade group, said on its website that more than 15 million passengers traveled on its member cruise lines in 2010, with that number expected to climb to more than 16 million in 2011. The trade group counts 26 cruise lines among its members — including Costa and its parent company, Carnival Corp.

The cruise industry has grown significantly in recent years. The industry's capacity has grown at an annual rate of 5.7 percent from 2005 to 2010, according to Carnival's regulatory filings.