Outbound cruise travel demand from the Middle East is shifting towards smaller-ship experiences, with expeditions, river cruises, and luxury sailing emerging as key draws, according to industry stakeholders.
Cruise specialists are reporting significant increases in bookings this year driven by growing interest in experiential travel and itineraries that offer access to destinations and ports beyond the reach of larger cruise ships.
“The demand for small-ship luxury cruising has doubled this year compared to last year, and when we combine this with expedition and river cruising, the growth has tripled,” Lakshmi Durai, CEO, CruiseXplore told TTG Asia.
The demand trend aligns with strong long-term growth in the small-ship segment. According to Oxford Economics, the small-ships market has grown by 91 per cent over the past decade.
Durai said demand is coming from across the Middle East, with Gulf Cooperation Council member countries emerging as important source markets.
“We have a lot of bookings coming from the UAE, a combination of Emiratis and expats. Clients want more experiences and to see new ports. With small ships they can visit ports that the bigger ships can’t access,” she added.
The growing appetite for niche cruise experiences is also reflected in expedition cruising, particularly voyages to remote parts of the world.
Polar Latitudes Expeditions, which operates small-ship expeditions to the Antarctica and the Arctic, is witnessing growing interest from Middle Eastern markets.
“Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have more appetite for such tours. The average size of groups is 12 to 15 pax. Presently, the demand is for shorter itineraries of 10 to 12 days for the Antarctica and seven to eight days for the Arctic. However, in the future we expect travellers from the region to book longer voyages as they develop a taste for such cruising,” said Craig Upshall, director of sales, Polar Latitudes Expeditions.
Recognising the specific requirements of travellers from the region, Polar Latitudes Expeditions organised Muslim-friendly voyages to the Antarctica in January this year.
“The demand for Christmas markets in Europe on river cruises is also seeing an uptake in among Middle Eastern markets,” added Durai.
