A study by the market research group Mintel forecasts a strong growth of the UK and Ireland cruise market in the 2018-23 period, driven by young people, Travel Wekly reports.
“The number of sea cruises taken by British and Irish holidaymakers will soar by 22.5% from 2018 to 2023 – while the overall number of overseas holidays are expected to rise by 14.8%,” the report said.
The figure just exceeded the 2.00 million mark in 2018, up from 1.96 million in the previous year, CLIA UK & Ireland has reported earlier.
Marloes De Vries, Mintel travel analyst, was quoted as saying: “Cruises were once thought of as the preserve of retirees, but there’s now plenty of potential to tap into a younger generation of cruise-goers. Some cruise lines have already introduced more activities to attract a younger audience such as rooftop BBQs and tattoo artists.”
“Growth is expected to be fuelled by an increasing number of cruise choices, modernisation of existing ships, and the large pool of people who are considering a cruise holiday. Given most potential cruisers have not experienced this type of holiday before, brands offering specialist knowledge and advice have a great opportunity to engage with this audience.”
However, CLIA UK & Ireland said the average age of UK cruise passengers was 57 in 2018, the highest among the main source markets of the industry. The average duration of cruises is also longer in the UK than on other main source markets, which CLIA UK & Ireland said explains this.
Mintel estimates 2.04 million British and Irish passengers will take a sea cruise in 2019, making the UK and Ireland market worth £3.2 billion this year.
The research reveals almost half (46%) of Brits say they are interested in taking a sea cruise in the next five years, while 45% are interested in taking a river cruise. Overall, one in four (26%) Brits have been on a cruise.
The research for Mintel Cruises 2019 report was carried out among 2,000 people, and reveals the younger generation shows the highest level of interest in sea cruises.
More than a third (38%) of those who are interested in taking a sea cruise in the next five years are aged 16 to 34; 34% are aged 35 to 54; and 28% are aged 55 or more.
