Description
2024 is expected to be a record year for the UK cruise market, with wage growth and increased consumer confidence having a positive impact on holiday bookings. Mintel’s UK Cruises Market Report analyses the industry and recommends how your business can take advantage of the high growth potential of the UK cruise industry. The report includes analysis of consumer attitudes towards cruise holidays, UK cruise market forecast, and much more.
Key Issues Covered in this Report
- Participation and future interest in cruise holidays.
- Interest in cruise holiday types.
- Interest in onboard leisure and dining experiences.
- Ethical priorities when booking.
- Barriers to cruising.
UK Cruise Industry – Market Landscape
Mintel estimates that nearly 2.3 million sea cruises were taken by UK and Irish passengers in 2023, which is 14% above the level recorded pre-pandemic in 2019. Demand for cruises is being driven by strong interest in multi-centre holidays and new experiences, strong advertising spend and the increasing ease of booking a cruise online.
UK Cruise Market – Consumer Trends
- 21% of UK consumers are interested in taking a river cruise in the next five years. The chance to visit multiple destinations during one trip in a convenient way is a key attractor of cruises in general, and those interested in river cruises are more likely to believe these can provide a more authentic local experience.
- 30% of 16-24 year olds are interested in taking a sea cruise in the next five years. Highlighting that the profile of sea cruise customers is set to become younger, however younger consumers’ willingness to pay more lags behind older travellers.
UK Cruise Industry – What’s Next?
As the cruise sector grows, concerns about the segment’s contribution to over-tourism are likely to grow as well. Cruise lines need to closely collaborate with destinations to build support and increase focus on destinations that have the infrastructure and space to handle passenger numbers. Potential cruise passengers want to take more different types of holidays in the coming years than other travellers. Amid increased holiday prices, promoting the value of combining different experiences and visiting multiple destinations on one holiday will appeal. Meanwhile, integrating wellness elements into cruise itineraries will make them more attractive to an increasingly health-conscious population.
Purchase the full report for a comprehensive analysis of the UK cruise market, including market drivers, market forecast and in-depth consumer insights.
More About UK Cruises Market Report
This report examines the behaviours and attitudes of UK adults aged 16 or over towards sea and river cruise holidays in the UK and abroad. In Mintel’s consumer research, a holiday is defined as a stay of at least one night that is primarily for leisure purposes. Business trips and visiting friends or relatives are not included.
Additional Features Included With Your Purchase
- Interactive Databook: Each Databook is provided as an interactive website where you can deep dive into our consumer research data on your chosen topic so you can draw your own conclusions.
- Consumer Confidence Tracker: Our Trackers paint the picture of the economic confidence and major concerns of up to 40 different demographics, tracking changes in attitudes over time.
- Custom PowerPoints: Incorporate our consumer research data into your own work so you can win over your clients and stakeholders. Select insights from your report to create a custom presentation that is ready to download in minutes.
- Different Digital Formats: PDF for conveniently sharing with your team, PowerPoint for quickly including in your presentations.
- Mintel’s Clients Portal: Our portal provides instant access to actionable analysis, podcasts, and trend pieces relevant to your industry that are published almost daily, as well as our annual Global Consumer Trends. You can also browse our extensive catalogue of market research reports.
Expert Analysis from a Travel Industry Specialist
This report, written by Marloes de Vries, a leading senior analyst in the holidays and travel sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends in the UK cruise industry and add expert context to the numbers.
With consumers’ prioritising value for money, cruises can benefit from their ability to combine different experiences and multiple destinations into one holiday.
Marloes de Vries
Travel Analyst
Table of Contents
-
- Key issues covered in this Report
-
Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the UK cruise market
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Graph 1: the financial confidence index, 2016-24
- What consumers want and why
- Graph 2: participation and interest in sea and river cruises, 2023
- Graph 3: interest in cruise holiday types, 2023
- Graph 4: most desired onboard leisure activities or facilities, 2023*
- Graph 5: most desired onboard dining experiences, by age, 2023*
- Graph 6: ethical priorities when booking a cruise, 2023
- Innovation and marketing
- Graph 7: total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cruises, 2019-23
-
Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Graph 8: UK & Ireland sea cruise market passenger volume, 2016-23
- Graph 9: UK & Ireland sea cruise market passenger value, 2016-23
- Market forecast
- Macro-economic factors
- Graph 10: CPI inflation rate, 2021-23
- Graph 11: the financial confidence index, 2016-24
- Social, environmental and legal factors
- Graph 12: population by life stage, mid-2020, mid-2030 and mid-2045
- Holiday bookings and booking intentions
- Graph 13: holiday bookings in the last three months, 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024
- Graph 14: plans to book a holiday in the next three months, 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024
-
What Consumers Want and Why
- Participation and interest in cruising
- Graph 15: interest in cruise holiday types, 2019-23
- Graph 16: interest in other holiday types among cruise passengers, 2023
- Profile of cruise travellers
- Graph 17: annual household income profile of the adult population versus cruise guests, 2023
- Graph 18: participation and interest in sea cruises, 2023
- Graph 19: interest in taking a sea cruise in the next five years, 2019-23
- Graph 20: participation and interest in river cruises, 2023
- Interest in cruise holiday types
- Graph 21: interest in cruise holiday types, 2023
- Graph 22: interest in cruise holiday types, by age, 2023
- Graph 23: interest in luxury cruise holidays, by annual household income, 2023
- Interest in onboard leisure and dining experiences
- Graph 24: most desired onboard leisure activities or facilities, by age, 2023
- Graph 25: most desired onboard dining experiences , 2023
- Graph 26: most desired onboard dining experiences, by age, 2023
- Cruise booking behaviour
- Graph 27: time between cruise booking and departure, 2023
- Graph 28: time between cruise booking and departure, by cruise experience, 2023
- Ethical priorities when booking
- Graph 29: ethical priorities when booking a cruise, 2023
- Barriers to cruising
- Graph 30: barriers to cruising, 2023
- Graph 31: barriers to cruising, by age, 2023
- Graph 32: barriers to cruising, by cruise experience, 2023
-
Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Leading cruise companies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Graph 33: total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on cruises, 2019-23
-
Appendix
- Supplementary data
- Graph 34: reasons for being interested in taking a cruise holiday, by age, 2019
- Graph 35: attitudes towards the environmental impact of cruise holidays versus flying, by interest in cruise holiday type, 2019
- Graph 36: attitudes towards cruising, by interest in cruise holiday type, 2021
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Methodology
About the report
Market
Mintel provides a range of market information, frequently through the category level, including market size and forecasting, complete with market drivers that illustrate the forces that shape a category or market.
Consumer
Mintel’s proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.
Brand/Company
Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.
Data
Market reports provide appendices of data to support the research and insight produced. Our databooks* are easily manipulated and downloadable to support your research needs and covers factors from consumer attitudes to market forecasts.
*databooks not available with UK B2B Industry reports.
Below is a sample report, understand what you are buying.
Please Note: This is a sample report. All of the figures, graphs, and tables have been redacted. Our reports are available to download in PDF and PPT formats.