Redefining the target cruise demographic, making an emotional connection in marketing and the power of social media were just some of the main talking points from this year’s Cruise Summit by Cruise Trade News

More than 140 travel agents, cruise line executives and industry experts descended on News UK’s London HQ on Monday (22 September) for the fourth instalment of the annual event, where speakers presented a series of insightful sessions outlining the ambitious future of the cruise industry.

The day began with a welcome address from Lee Hayhurst, group editorial director at Cruise Trade News parent company Real Response Media, who marked a significant milestone of the 150th issue of World of Cruising magazine.

This was followed by Andy Harmer OBE, managing director of CLIA UK & Ireland, who presented the association’s latest insights from its membership research as part of the first session of the day, titled Charting a Course.

There were more trade insights shared by Will Payne, editor of Cruise Trade News, followed by Travelzoo’s Sam Conway diving into booking trends and consumer cruise perceptions.

Other highlights from the day included exclusive insights from TikTok’s Ola Quadrio, ITV’s Adrian Last and Meta’s Russell Pert, who offered a detailed look at travel trends from social media and other powerful platforms and why agents should consider them as a marketing tool.

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the key takeaways and insights shared throughout a compelling day of panels, surveys and keynote sessions.

1. Age doesn’t define spending power and energy 

Geoff Ridgeon, head of sales from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, explained that targeting only younger audiences isn’t the best way forward for the cruise industry, as the mature market “isn’t just relevant, but critical”. Jasman Ahmad, strategy director from Accord Marketing, echoed this sentiment stating how selling points must be reframed by agents to add more emotional connect to the functional language that’s currently used.

“If you reframe your selling points, for example, from adults-only to kid-free then it targets tired parents like me who are seeking that holiday or a break,” he said. Laura Jackson, deputy head of travel​ of The Times and The Sunday Times​, added that agents should also market cruises primarily as holidays and not merely cruises.

Anthea Turner, British TV host who reflected on her favourite cruises in the past, urged agents to “not lump age groups together as many have different interests and are still adventurous.”

2. TikTok is a ‘sure-fire’ way to attract younger cruisers 

At the lively Battle of the Media session, Ola Quadrio, head of travel, client solutions for TikTok, made a powerful presentation demonstrating how 30 is the average age of a TikTok user, #cruisetok videos are viewed nine billion times every day and 34 per cent of TikTok users have taken one or more cruise trips.

70 per cent of users agreed that travel is the most enjoyable content to watch on the app, followed by food and drink and entertainment. Quadrio also highlighted how the average spending on a trip increased for many after using TikTok, and 18 per cent plan on booking a cruise for their next trip.

3. Cost comparisons

Sophie Swietochowski, assistant travel editor at The Sun, talked about “getting more bang for your buck” and the importance of comparing costs of a cruise to big attractions in large cities, which for a family, can add up significantly. Jonny Peat, director of cruise at Advantage Travel Partnership, agreed, stating that cruise costs need to be demystified where agents actively look at the cost of holidays vs London’s top attractions.

4. Podcasts are a strong marketing tool

Amber Neary, News UK’s podcast lead, took to the  stage to highlight why agents must start considering podcasts to transport clients into the world of cruise holidays.  She said: “It is hard to capture people’s attention in an industry that’s saturated with content. We are producing news that is trustworthy. Our podcast, by Jane Garvey and Fi Glover called Off Air with Jane and Fi, has 200,000 weekly listeners which is impressive. 76 per cent of listeners take action as a result of hearing a brand message within a podcast.”

5. Knowing your customer

Whether river or ocean, panellists suggested that travellers are curious regardless of age and therefore understanding whether your client is ideal for luxury, river or expedition cruising is important. Mark Walker, UK and Ireland sales director for HX, said: “The independent, experienced, destination hungry traveller is typical of who we’re attracting. People who are looking for wildlife and educational and learning opportunities.

“The landings, lectures and a lot of places we go to are usually best explored by ships. It is important for agents to understand that our sector, is very an informal one with flexible itineraries as we depend on weather for wildlife.”

Geoff Ridgeon said it is also important for cruise lines and agents to promote smaller destinations for the curious traveller instead of the usual, large port cities.

6.  Convincing the hesitant cruise traveller

During our final session with TV host Anthea Turner, she noticed how multigenerational cruisers are shaping the industry. “I saw grandmas, nieces, everyone enjoying a cocktail by a bar! Cruising is like Ibiza; you can make it anything you want it to be. You can party your socks off or have a tranquil getaway, learning all about the locals on the Balearic Islands. So don’t overthink it as it is not the biggest decision you’ll make – just go for it.”

One of the sessions also highlighted scepticism in the industry, especially for those who are new-to-cruise and how to show them value in their holiday, mainly by breaking down door-to-door costs and personalised experiences, for demographics such as solo travellers.

7. How to inspire the next generation of cruisers

Focussing on a “distinctive style”, promoting authentic experiences and challenging misconceptions is key to inspiring the next generation of cruise travellers, according to the “Peer pressure: how to inspire the next wave of cruise go-er” panel.

Real Response Media group editor, cruise, Jack Carter, was joined by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Geoff Ridgeon, Royal Caribbean’s Aaron Langford, Advantage’s Jonny Peat and Accord Marketing’s Jasman Ahmad, who shared insights into how to attract new cruisers in today’s market.

Langford admitted that cruising is “quite complex” for those who have never sailed before. “When you book a land-based break it’s a lot more simple, so we still have a lot of work to do around the terminology on cruise,” he told delegates. “It is challenging, and we need to do a better job at translating what a cruise holiday means and that’s where agents come in, and how important that expertise is.”