Global market research company Mintel has revealed that, over the next five years, the cruise sector is set to grow faster than the mainstream holiday market, with the number of cruise holidays forecasted to increase more rapidly than the total number of overseas holidays.

According to Mintel, between 2018 and 2023, the number of sea cruise holidays taken by British and Irish travellers is predicted to grow at 22.5%, compared to a 14.8% increase in the number of overseas holidays in the same timeframe.

What’s more, the latest research from Mintel shows that 46% of Brits are interested in taking a sea cruise in the next five years, while 45% are interested in a river cruise; young people (aged between 16 and 34) are the most interested age group in taking a sea cruise, and 47% who’ve never taken a cruise would consider combining a cruise holiday with a stay in accommodation on land.

These figures comes off the back of CLIA’s recent headline announcement that the number of UK and Irish cruise passengers surpassed two million in 2018 for the first time. The UK and Ireland sea cruise market is estimated to reach £3.2 billion in 2019. Meanwhile, total UK holiday spend is forecast at £32.1 billion in 2019.

Mintel travel analyst Marloes De Vries puts this increase down to a number of factors: “Growth is expected to be fuelled by an increasing number of cruise choices, modernisation of existing ships and the large pool of people who are considering a cruise holiday.”

She continues: “Consumers are becoming more open to experiencing things they have never done before. For many, a cruise holiday offers something different and special, which adds to the appeal. Given most potential cruisers have not experienced this type of holiday before, brands offering specialist knowledge and advice have a great opportunity to engage with this audience.”

While cruise has historically been considered the preserve of mature holidaymakers, Mintel’s research shows that young people are in fact far more likely to be interested in taking to the seas. Some 38% of those who are interested in taking a sea cruise in the next five years are aged 16-34, while 34% are aged 35-54 and 28% are aged 55+. However, river cruises are more appealing to the older generation, with a third (33%) of Brits aged 55+ are interested in taking one in the next five years.

“The fact that younger people aged 16-34 expect far fewer products/services to be included in the price for a cruise holiday presents an opportunity to offer this group more flexible price tiers,” comments De Vries.

One of the biggest factors preventing people from cruising, unsurprisingly, is cost. According to Mintel, six in ten (61%) Brits who have never cruised before believe cruises are too expensive. When it comes to attracting the older crowd, it would seem that over-55s have higher expectations of what should be included in all-inclusive cruise holidays, including food and non-alcoholic beverages in particular. Meanwhile, young people are more interested in staying connected, with 42% of 16-34s saying free wi-fi would encourage them to pick one cruise holiday over another.

Another interesting conclusion drawn is that the cruise-and-stay holiday has great potential for introducing first-timers. Half of those who have never taken a cruise would consider combining a cruise holiday with a stay on land. Finally, 30% of non-cruisers think that cruises do not offer them enough flexibility to do their own thing. These facts will be of particular use to travel agents looking to bring new people into cruise.