Last month, the Foreign Office eased its advice against all cruise travel for the first time since July 2020 after
the UK government lifted its ban on international ocean cruising, prompting hopes the move would unlock pent-up demand for later this year.
“It’s definitely the year of the "seacation", no doubt about it, but people are starting to consider the latter end of summer 2022 and 2023,” said Phil Nuttall, managing director of Travel Village Group.
“It is positive, but in order to really open things up and give people confidence, we have to meet people’s expectations on safety,” he added.
Edwina Lonsdale, managing director of Mundy Travel, said finally being able to tell clients the advice had changed would be a “really useful sales tool”.
However, Lonsdale said she did not predict an immediate influx of bookings. “I don’t think [bookings] will come pouring in,” she said.
“Some people will continue to be cautious for a while, and they will want to see what other people’s experiences are like. But, yes, I think there is interest for this year.”
’Ready to book’
Sandra Corkin, managing director of Oasis Travel in Northern Ireland, which as TTG went to press was expected to follow the rest of the UK in lifting cruise restrictions, said the restart would be “very, very welcome”.
She said Oasis clients had faced multiple cancellations throughout the pandemic and the agency had “a number of customers with future cruise certificates ready to book”.
Corkin added that in 2019, cruising made up 36% of Oasis’ total business and revealed it now amounted to 44% of future business, hinting at a strong uptake of cruise getaways over the next two years.
