The transition has prompted luxury cruise agent Panache Cruises to detail five trends it predicts will shape the market in 2023 and beyond, the first being a trend towards clients seeking to tick more experiences off their bucket-lists following an uptick in Antarctica bookings.
Elsewhere, lines are seeing an increase in bookings to destinations such as the US, Canada and Australia, as well as previously inaccessible destinations.
Panache said the growth of the expedition holiday market had also indicated a desire for more adventurous post-lockdown itineraries, with tourists keen to explore lesser-known routes.
Environmental issues are also set to come to the fore in 2023, with clients placing a bigger focus on sustainability and protecting the natural environment.
The cruise industry in particular has seen a switch in tourism to other eastern European seaports because of the war in Ukraine, and rather than visiting Russian ports such as Saint Petersburg, cruise ships are stopping off in ports such as Tallinn in Estonia and Riga in Latvia.
Recent advances in cruise ship technology have seen the creation of vessels which can cover greater distances per day due to improved hydrodynamic hulls and more efficient engines, meaning in 2023, travellers heading away on a week’s cruise will be able to explore further afield.
James Cole, founder and managing director of Panache Cruises said: "Following the pandemic, we have seen a shift in the priorities of travellers across the wider travel sector as people move away from mass-market style holidays.
“With lockdown hopefully now firmly behind us, we are seeing a trend of travellers wanting to make the most of the free time they have. This is driving more people to visit those ‘once in a lifetime’ destinations."
