According to a recent poll of travel advisors conducted by travel insurance and assistance provider Allianz Partners USA, the majority of advisors stated that cruise itineraries account for over 75% of their bookings, with over a quarter of the poll participants saying as much. Allianz Partners polled 9,000 travel advisers who recommend its travel protection products for their clients in October.
Travel insurance is valued by both travel consultants and their clients, according to the report. The review* states that 82% of travel advisors think their clients are more confident about sailing when they have a policy on board, and 92% of advisors feel their clients enjoy peace of mind when they have Allianz Travel Insurance.
Cruises are a major factor in travel advisor reservations, according to the travel insurance provider’s analysis of the breakdown of reported bookings, which included tracking the percentage of cruises compared to other types of travel. In contrast to 17% who indicated that only 6-25% of bookings were cruises and 6% of advisors who stated that less than 5% of bookings were cruises, over 75% of those surveyed indicated that the majority of their reservations were for cruise travel (27% said that 76-100% of bookings are cruises; 25% said 51-75% are cruises; 26% said 26-50% were cruises).
Ocean Cruises Are Still Popular, and People Want to Take Repeat Expedition Cruises
According to travel experts, ocean cruises were the most popular last year (81%) followed by river cruises (16%), expedition cruises (2%), and themed cruises (1%). Despite being a relatively young industry, expedition cruises are rapidly gaining traction and generating repeat business, with the majority of travelers expressing a wish to reserve another for a later date.
Future Cruise Schedules and Changes to the Booking Window
Regarding whether the window for clients to book cruises has altered this year compared to 2022, travel advisor respondents were divided: 40% thought it has gotten longer, 36% thought it’s the same, and 24% thought it has gotten shorter. More than half of respondents (52%) stated that the sailings will happen between six months to a year, followed by three to six months (27%) and within three months of purchase (11%). Just 10% of responders are travel advisors whose clients make reservations more than a year in advance.
New Trends in Cruise Travel
In a poll regarding growing interest in immersion and exploration-focused culture themed cruises, 35% of travel advisers reported seeing greater interest this year than in previous years, while 48% indicated they haven’t observed any increase in interest and 17% were unclear. More than a quarter (26%) of advisers surveyed reported seeing an increase in multi-generational groups, while almost half (49%) indicated they had not noticed a change in the number of tourists traveling in cruise parties. Travel advisors report seeing a rise in solitary travelers (13%), compared to couples (12%), on cruises. This indicates that solo travel has gained some traction.
Travel consultants who assist in securing a cruise holiday with an Allianz travel insurance policy enable travelers to unwind and concentrate on the journey ahead, comfortable in the knowledge that they are safeguarded from covered, unforeseen catastrophes that could otherwise deplete an uninsured travel budget.
Allianz Partners provides travel insurance to customers directly as well as through the majority of the country’s top airlines, reputable travel agencies, internet travel agencies, hotel chains, and cruise lines.
Source- Travel daily