The cruise market is declining, particularly in the Mediterranean, which is experiencing a downturn this year, although not a significant one.
The Italian cruise market, which has flourished in recent years, is expected to decline in 2020 according to forecastsfrom the Osservatorio Ticketcrociere.In particular, the decline is evident in the Mediterranean, which is being replaced by the Middle East (+48%), thanks in part to Dubai.
Bookings are slow compared to previous years, although January saw a +12%. The decrease in the use ofadvanced booking, a trend seen throughout the tourism sector,as highlighted by the digital travel report from Osservatori.net at the Politecnico di Milano, is pulling the cruise sector downwards.
As far as the Italian market is concerned, although expectations are high, there is a slight drop in bookings for 2020, with advanced booking lagging behind. According to booking data from theOsservatorio Ticketcrociere –the leading travel agency in Italy for online cruise sales – there is currently a decrease of about 4% in passengers, although January is showing an uptick.
«The tide is turning, despite a difficult and uphill start– explains Matteo Lorusso, system administrator & social media manager at Ticketcrociere– The initial gap in January was closed in just a few days and numbers are up compared to January 2019: passengers up by 12% and cabins booked up by 9%. However, forecasts for 2020 are currently hindered by the decline in the Mediterranean».
Summary
Cruises in the Mediterranean decline
And indeed, the Mediterranean is seeing its first decline after years of growth: for 2020 it is down by 7%, while destinations such as the Middle East (+48%) continue to grow and the Caribbean are back in vogue at +16%. «The sector is lively and will certainly bring us satisfaction again this year, but we do have to reflect– adds Lorusso –The ships sailing our seas(and not only)have increased and now the total number of Italian cruise passengers must also grow significantly; we can’t rely only on repeaters. The challenge for cruise companies, and for us as well of course, is to engage new audiences and shift market shares».
Where will Italian cruise passengers go in 2020?
As of today, the Mediterranean attracts 57% of preferences, followed by the Caribbean at 14%, with Northern Europe at 10% almost on par with the Middle East at 9%; 3% have chosen the Canary Islands and another 3% the Far East; 2% of Italian passengers will go to South America; 1% will visit most of these destinations on a world cruise; finally, South Africa (0.5%) and North America (0.5%).
A record year for cruises worldwide
It’s a year that promises records worldwide. This was confirmed by Clia, the international cruise industry association: in 2020, 32 million cruise passengers are expected (compared to 30 million in 2019 and 28.5 million in 2018). These are significant numbers, although this type of tourism today represents less than 2% of total global tourism.
Ticketcrociere
Ticketcrociere is theItalian brandof Taoticket S.r.l, an online travel agency specializing in cruises that in 2019 recorded almost 20,000 bookings, with a turnover of 18 million euros. For 2020, the company expects growth of 22%, with revenues reaching 20 million euros.
Pubblicato in Cruises
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