Agents should promote the cruise industry’s environmental credentials to millennials as this may encourage them to make a booking, Clia Europe’s director general says.
Speaking at the Clia Forum on Thursday (December 8), Marie-Caroline Laurent revealed the average age of cruise passengers between 2018 and 2020 was 47.6 and 85% of millennial cruisers planned to cruise again.
Clia Global Market Report data in 2020 shows millennials are the “most enthusiastic cruisers of the future”, ranked against traditionalists (73%), baby boomers (77%), Gen X (82%) Gen Z (79%).
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Addressing agents directly during a sustainability session, Laurent said: “Millennials are becoming more enthusiastic for cruising which is why when we speak about sustainability it is also important for all of you in this room to be able to articulate why cruising can actually be one of the sustainable tourism forms.”
Asked why millennials were the most “enthusiastic” demographic about cruising, she said: “Cruising is a family experience so millennials have been cruising with their parents or grandparents and are discovering that it is a great way to see the world.”
She also argued new excursion experiences now being offered by cruise lines which were active or focused on sustainable activities in destinations appealed to millennials.
Cruise lines have never focused or invested in carbon off-setting or “compensation” schemes, explained Laurent, who added: “The investment from our industry has been looking into new [greener] vessels. It’s important to explain this concept.”
Laurent (pictured) added that cruises were “not the reason” for overtourism in destinsations such as Marseille or Barcelona. “In most of the destinations that we talk about overtourism, the actual number of cruise tourists is 8% to 10%, compared with the overall mass of tourists, so it’s about managing the flows.”
She confirmed “some parts” of cruise destinations were “worried” about overtourism but insisted there were “more vocal” cruise supporters now.
“The fact that we had zero cruises for some months has impacted local economies,” she said. “Of course, you have some groups that will be raising concerns about cruise activity, but you have the vast majority coming forward saying that you need the cruise industry.
“We need to be clear about the value of our activity in a destination and how we’re providing a window to the destination for different passengers.”