After a long pause in the cruise industry, almost all of the world’s cruise ships are sailing again.
According to Statista, the cruise industry in the UK has since skyrocketed with the return of customers. In 2021, the UK became the second largest source country for cruise passengers in Europe, just after Germany. One of the biggest cruise ports in the UK is Southampton with the port seeing over 250,000 cruise passenger movements in 2022. While travel is still below pre-pandemic levels, UK cruise tourism is set to reach a market value of £15.72 million (US $19.5 million) by 2032. The popularity of cruise holidays has led companies like Viking Maritime to rebrand themselves in order to reach wider target markets. This has been achieved through offering group-wide services to their clients, including a wide range of multinational corporate customers.
Given how big the cruise industry is, it’s essential to visit how it affects the UK and overall tourism. Below is an outlook for the UK cruise industry in 2023:
Boosted interest in cruise holidays, including younger audiences
Since cruise holidays have returned, there has been a boosted interest in sea holidays. The latest research by Mintel reveals that cruise holidays may grow faster than the total number of overseas holidays. British and Irish travellers taking cruises are forecasted to grow by 22.5% compared to a 14.8% rise in overseas holidays.
Although most people expect cruise holidays to be meant for retirees, younger audiences have increasingly become interested in taking to the seas. As much as 46% of Brits say they’re interested in a sea cruise, with 38% of those interested aged 16-34. To accommodate this demand, cruise lines are introducing activities and amenities to attract younger people, like rooftop BBQs, tattoo artists, as well as free WiFi.
However, more than half of Brits believe cruise holidays are too expensive. To combat pricing issues, more cruise brands are moving towards budget options. Many of these price points have fewer built-in products and services, but they offer younger consumers greater flexibility in what they want in their experience — encouraging them to explore their options within their budget.
Increased demand for luxury cruises and unique experiences
The pandemic changed tourism, with many consumers now becoming more crowd conscious and less interested in mass-market industries, looking for more exclusive experiences. A report on the Luxury Cruise Tourism Market highlights how this shift has driven the demand for luxury tourism, particularly luxury cruises, with several brands enabling wealthy customers and those seeking once-in-a-lifetime experiences to enjoy high-quality products and services.
This has led to a rise in cruise companies putting an emphasis on luxury travel. Explora Cruises promotes their sailing experience as a luxury all-inclusive journey. This includes unlimited drinks, access to spa thermal areas, well-being and fitness programmes, and distinct culinary experiences. At ports, guests can enjoy quiet but beautiful landscapes at enticing destinations, satisfying the desire for discovery and luxury comfort. Aside from sea travel, luxury river cruises can provide a balanced, unique experience on board and on land. Riverside Luxury Cruises not only offer wellness amenities and fresh dining options, but they also offer special excursions beyond traditional walking tours. By 2024, the aforementioned cruise line expects to offer balloon rides or helicopter journeys depending on the customer’s activity level.
Heightened environmental concerns and protests
With the rapid growth of the cruise industry, more people are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of these ships. Over-tourism is a big problem across popular ports like Dubrovnik, Venice, and Barcelona, with the Express reporting that these destinations have increased taxes for cruise passengers or banned large ships from docking. Locals are especially fed up with short-term tourists, as they don’t contribute to the local economy and often leave trash behind. Furthermore, the ships themselves can also harm the local environment with high carbon emissions and poor waste management.
To reduce the negative impacts of cruise ships, more businesses are investing in more efficient power sources. Currently, the industry has focused on the transition to hybrid or liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered engines, which are said to be a cleaner-burning fossil fuel that has one-fifth the carbon footprint. In addition to sustainable fuel sources, more cruise companies are moving towards more environmentally friendly and ethically sourced materials to design ship interiors. For instance, Norwegian Cruise Lines and MSC Cruises work with Tillberg Design of Sweden. The company draws on a “responsible supplier library” to fashion objects with recycled plastic, glass, and wall coverings or use renewable materials like wood and wool pulp.
Several ports are also investing in greener approaches. In the case of the UK’s second busiest cruise port, the Port of Dover, it announced in 2022 its ambitious intent to become net-zero by 2025. Several sustainability targets include zero single-use plastics, zero air quality impact, and zero pollution events, among other goals.
The UK cruising industry will only continue to grow as both older and younger audiences become interested in cruise holidays. This growth is further supported by investments towards luxurious amenities and sustainability efforts, as they cater to more cruise- and environmentally-conscious consumers.
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