The cruise market - France (2024)

1.2 The global cruise market

First, let's take a look at the global cruise market.

Cruise ships represent less than *% of the total world commercial fleet, as shown in the graph below.

Share of cruise ships in global maritime traffic World, ****, in Source: ****

Since ****, there has been a steady increase in the global bed capacity of cruise ships. In ****, they could accommodate up to ***,*** beds, and by **** they are expected to reach a capacity of ***,*** beds, almost doubling capacity.

evolution of worldwide cruise ship bed capacity World, ****-****, in thousands of beds Source: ****

Thus, in correlation with theincrease in worldwide bed capacity, passenger demand is forecast to rise, reaching **.* million passengers, eight million more than * years earlier.

Projected number of cruise passengers World, ****-****, in millions of passengers Source: ****

Now let's quantify thetotal impact of the cruise industry. The cruise industry generates revenues and profits for governments through taxes paidand people employed, as well as revenues for various suppliers (***) and profits for cruise operators.it will generate nearly *.* million jobs by ****.

Total economic impact generated by the cruise industry World, ****-****, in $ billions Source: ****

let's now focus on the sales generated by thecruise industry itself, which will amount to nearly $**.* billion in ****.

Cruise industry sales World, ...

1.3 The domestic cruise market

The French market is an important one in theEuropean cruise industry, and in ****, after some complicated covid years, it will be back in the spotlight with a growth rate of almost *%. On the other hand, it remains well ahead of Italy, with a growth rate of **%.

Cruise market growth rates Europe, ****, in Source: ****

France, as mentioned above, is an important country for the cruise industry, accounting for almost *% of all cruise passengers in Europe, making it one of the Top * countries for cruise passengers.

Breakdown of cruise passenger origin Europe, ****, in Source: ****

The evolution of cruise passenger numbers is shown below. In ****, France reached an all-time high with almost ***,*** passengers. In ****, it will return to its pre-covid years, and even surpass **** with almost ***,*** passengers.

cruise passenger growth France, ****-****, in thousands Source: ****

The cruise industry encompasses not only cruises, but also cruise ship construction, in which France will have a **.*% market share by ****, with ** ships on order. One example is Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a shipbuilding facility.

Distribution of boatbuilder shares Europe, ****, in % of total Source: ****

In ****, thecruise industry generated almost **,*** jobs for an overall return of *.* billion euros, which can be broken down as shown in the graph below.

Cruise industry ...

2.1 Booming cruise demand

let's take a look at demand, and focus on the criteria that influence French people's choice of destination. We can see that most French people pay particular attention to the quality/price ratio.

Criteria influencing French people's choice of destination France, ****, in Source: ****

What's more, if we look at the survey below, which shows the breakdown of French vacation destinations, we can see that the most popular vacation destination remains the coast, with over **% of votes.

Breakdown of French vacation destinations France, ****, in % of votes Source: ****

In addition, between **** and ****, we see an increase in the use of boats as the most popular means of vacation transport, rising from *% to *%.

trend in the use of boats as the most popular means of vacation transport France, ****-****, in Source: ****

Similarly, the number of cruise ships in France is projected to increase.

number of cruise ships France, ****-****, in number Source: ****

2.2 Cruise customer persona

Below, we attempt to draw up a typical profile of cruise customers.

First, let's look at the age of cruise passengers. We can see that the segments that account for more than half of cruise customers are people over **.

Ages of cruise customers France, ****, in % Source: ****

It should also be noted that the average age of cruise customers has been falling for several years , to * years younger than in ****. The customer base istherefore getting younger and younger.

average age of cruise customers France, ****, in years Source: ****

Finally, the age distribution also depends on the destination chosen by cruisers.

Average age distribution of cruise passengers according to destination France, ****, in years Source: ****

What's more, nearly **% of cruisers are considered first-time cruisers, meaning that this is the first cruise they have ever taken.

Who among cruisers has already taken one? World, ****, in % Source: ****

In terms of gender, there are slightly more men than women (***).

Gender breakdown of cruise passengers France, ****, in Source: ****

We can now zoom in on cruisers planning to visit Corsica, one of France's favorite destinations for cruisers.

If we take a look at Corsican cruisers, we see that cruises attract people from both the CSP+ and CSP- classes in almost ...

2.3 Cruise consumer habits

Now let's take a look at cruisers' consumption habits.

In general, almost **% of cruises last around seven days.

Average cruise duration France, ****, in Source: ****

Since ****, the average number of days on a cruise has continued to move closer to the **** average of eight days.

evolution of average cruise duration France, ****-****, in average number of days Source: ****

In addition, we are witnessing a seasonal shift in demand for the term "cruise"cruise".

Seasonality of demand for the term "cruise France, ****-****, in Google Trend index Source: ****

The favorite destination for the French remains the Central and Western Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Corsica... followed by the Caribbean.

Where do the French cruise? France, ****, in Source: ****

2.4 Favourite cruise brands

Now let's take a look at France's favorite cruise brands.

Below, we analyze how much the French will appreciate brands like Costa Croisières and MSC Croisières in ****.

French favorite cruise brands survey France, ****, in Source: ****

We can also observe that cruise brands like MSC Croisières have a positive impression within the travel brands category with **% positive impression, followed by Costa Croisières with **%.

Travel brands - Positive impression France, ****, in Source: ****

Similarly, in terms of purchase intentions, MSC Crociere has a rather high rate of almost **% .

Travel brands - Purchase intention France, ****, in Source: ****

3.1 Cruise market organization

let's take a look at the structure of the cruise industry in France.

Today, the sector is structured around a handful of major companies, which today share **% of the world market: Carnival Corporation & PLC, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise, as shown below:

Sales of the major cruise lines World, ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

As mentioned above, four cruise lines share **% of the world cruise market: Carnival Corporation & PLC, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, MSC. Cruises and NCL. Of the ** cruise lines listed, ** are not controlled by the * market behemoths. There is therefore a multitude of companies that are still independent, focusing on niche markets with smaller ships, often the result of renovations to the flagship cruise ships of the ****s.

Of the ** companies surveyed, most offer cruises with stopovers in France (***), but only a small minority offer cruises departing from a French port, such as Costa, MSC or Fred Olsen.

Let's now turn our attention to employees in the French cruise industry. Below, we can see the various jobs in the cruise industry, according to whether they are direct, indirect or induced...

Employees in the cruise industry France, ****, in thousands of employees Source: ****

In the same way, ...

3.2 Investment in cruise ship production

Over the next five years, new ship constructionrepresents ** billion euros, **.*% of which is for France, according to the chart below.

Investment in new cruise ship construction Europe, ****, as % of total Source: ****

It should also be noted that a cruise ship built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, for example, is almost entirely made of European materials, as shown in the graph below.

Breakdown of materials used to build cruise ships France, ****, % of total Source: ****

3.3 Focus on stopovers in France

While in ****, French cruise destinations were still down on **** overall, **** seems to be a year of return to normal for the vast majority of ports.

Stopovers and transit passengers are still slightly below **** figures, but head-of-line passengers are more numerous in ****.

The destinations of French cruises by sailing basin are shown below .

French cruise destinations by sailing basin France, ****, in number of stopover arrivals Source: ****

In addition, there are *,*** French ports of call, spread over ** ports.

In the chart below, * ports account for nearly *,*** calls, or **% of forecast cruise activity.

Geographical distribution of calls in France France, ****, in number of calls Source: ****

In ****, as an indication and on the basis of a theoretical full ship carrying capacity, the maximum carrying capacity would reach *,***,*** passengers.

4.1 Typology of cruise offerings

The table below shows the segmentation of the cruise offer in France.

This typology is bound to evolve. In fact, the size of cruise ships is increasing, and by ****, ships such as the Cruisezilla ****, with a capacity of almost **,*** passengers, are expected to be built .

Increase in cruise ship size France, ****, in number of passengers Source: ****

The number of mega-cruise ships is also on the rise, with capacities more than doubling in almost ** years, as shown in the graph below.

Number of mega cruise ships France, ****, in number of ships Source: ****

Similarly, in * years, between **** and ****, the number of large cruise ships is projected to increase from ** to ** large ships with over *,*** beds.

Projected growth in the number of large cruise ships France, ****-****, in numbers Source: ****

4.2 Cruise pricing

let's take a look at cruise pricing.

Cruise prices are highly variable. They depend on several factors, such as the type of boat, the destination chosen and the season in which the cruise is scheduled.

In the tables below, you can see an estimate of fares for a number of cruise destinations, depending on the destination and season in particular. [***]

One-week Caribbean cruise(***)

One-week Mediterranean cruise(***)

Asian cruise

Ten-day cruise in the Indian Ocean(***)

4.3 New cruise trends

We can identify several trends in thecruise industry.

Premiumization of the offer

All-inclusive vacations have always been prized for their simplicity and convenience, but traveler preferences are changing. Today, more and more travelers are willing to invest more in an upscale all-inclusive experience, combining traditional simplicity with a touch of exclusivity. This evolution responds to a growing demand for carefully designed, high-quality stays that go beyond traditional offerings.

For example, MSC Cruises offers all-inclusive vacations with the MSC Yatch Club concept. This is an all-inclusive experience with private facilities such as a restaurant, lounge, butler service, private solarium, access to private beaches during ports of call...

These cruises remain a niche market , but one with considerable growth potential.

Cruise ship types France, ****, in Source: ****

Cruises are also beginning to offer new itineraries.

Norwegian Cruise Line (***), famous for its spectacular coral reefs, Richards Bay, a gateway to South Africa's wildlife safaris, and Mossel Bay, a haven for beach lovers.

The raddical sabbaticals phenomenon

In recent years, with the increasing flexibility offered by telecommuting and the rise of sabbaticals as a professional perk, there has been a growing desire to take extended breaks in mid-career to travel. This trend has given rise to ...

4.4 Increasingly sustainable cruises?

Respect for sustainable development andinclusion are two challenges facing the cruise industry.

Accessibility during cruises is a primary challenge for cruise lines. Demand for accessible excursions has increased, with **% of passengers having booked an accessible excursion on their last cruise.

What's more, French tourists are keen to spend their vacations in an increasingly responsible way.

Nearly **% of French people avoid taking a cruise for ecological reasons.

avoid taking a cruise? France, ****, in Source: ****

So, to remain attractive and retain customers, cruise lines are setting high targets for reducing their CO* emissions.

By ****, the aim is to reduce CO* emissions by ***% .

CO* emissions reduction targets France, ****, in Source: ****

As mentioned above, cruise ships are much criticized for their heavy ecological impact. a cruise ship alone generates as much pollution as a million cars. Companies are therefore stepping up initiatives to reduce their environmental footprint.

For example, Costa, one of the industry's behemoths, has set up a program called " Sustainable Cruise ". Reducing pollution, improving water conservation and recycling waste to increase the energy capacity of cruise ships are among its main objectives.

Shipowners are also making increasing use of cruise ships running on alternative fuels. They are also investing in solutions such as ...

5.1 Regulations

Passenger ships must comply with all relevantIMO (***) standards, including safety regulations and ship pollution prevention requirements.

The Titanic disaster in **** led to the adoption of the very first SOLAS treaty, many of whose rules have since been revised. These revisions have been made both in response to serious incidents and as a result of proactive approaches to updating the same rules.

The SOLAS treaty applies to passenger ships carrying more than ** passengers on international voyages.

Environmental performance

Today's cruise ships can carry over *,*** passengers and crew. All passenger ships must comply with the IMO's MARPOL regulations on the prevention of pollution from ships.

For cruise ships, proper garbage disposal and wastewater treatment are of paramount importance.

Passenger ships must also comply with all relevant energy efficiency and air pollution requirements . Since *ᵉʳ January ****, the sulfur content of fuel oil used on board ships operating outside emission control areas has been limited to *.**% - a significant reduction on the previous limit of *.*%. This has helped to protect the health of people in ports and coastal areas.

Response to the Costa Concordia incident

The IMO Maritime Safety Committee (***) responded very quickly to the sinking of the Costa Concordia in January ****, approving recommended interim measures ...

5.2 Sustainable Mediterranean Cruising Charter

The Mediterranean coastline is the most emblematic continental coastline for the cruise business. In ****, the Mediterranean coast welcomed *,*** calls from *** ships associated with ** cruise lines. ** ships belonging to ** companies made at least ** calls in ****, i.e. **% of forecast calls.

In view of the scale of the activity and the growing awareness of citizens and authorities of environmental and air quality issues, it has been decided to focus thecided to create a charter of commitment that goes beyond the requirements of the regulations, particularly with regard to the environmental impact of shipping. With the resumption of the cruise business at the end of the COVID epidemic, the cruise business has been has been the subject of regular criticism in relation to air quality and the preservation of the marine environment.

The sustainable cruising charter is based on existing local charters (***), it became clear that the French government wanted to of the French State to support this charter, in order to avoid the multiplication of local charters by offering a reinforced common base of requirements.

On October **, ****, at the Blue Maritime Summit in Marseille, the Croisière Durable charter was signed by Mr. Hervé Berville, Secretary of State to the Prime Minister, responsible ...

6.1 Offer segmentation

• MSC Cruises
• Carnival Corporation & PLC
• Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Rivages du Monde
• Orient Express (Accor Groupe)