CLIA's Cruise Travel Report shines light on industry trends

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released the Cruise Travel Report, examining the attitudes, behaviours and travel preferences of cruisers and non-cruisers. The report studies a variety of topics including travel planning, the use of travel agents, vacation companions and destination preferences.

One of the key findings of the study is that a new ‘Cruise Generation’ has emerged, with increasing numbers of millennials and Generation Y travellers embracing cruise travel. The new ‘Cruise Generation’ rates cruise travel as the best type of vacation compared to land-based vacations, all-inclusive resorts, tours, vacation house rentals, and camping. The study sample also found that, contrary to popular conceptions, people who take cruises are often younger than those who take land-based vacations.

The report also detailed how a majority of cruisers tended to plan a trip between four and 18 months prior to departure, compared to half of non-cruisers who book land-based vacations less than three months before departing. Travellers planning for a cruise also rely on numerous sources of information such as travel agents, websites, word of mouth, social media and travel apps and guides.

Travel agents, the report finds, play a critical role in cruise vacation planning: a full 82 per cent of cruisers state that they work with a travel agent when booking a cruise, compared with 40 per cent of non-cruisers.

“The cruise industry is growing at an incredible pace and on a global scale. For that reason, it is critical to continue to conduct research to gain the best understanding of the attitudes and behaviours around travel as a whole and particularly around cruise travel,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA. “While there is a wealth of findings in the 2017 Cruise Travel Report, one that stands out is that cruise industry has been successful in engaging younger generations.”