By
Rebecca Gibson |
Warm water destinations like the Galapagos islands, Africa, Seychelles, India and Pacific Islands will see “strong growth” in expedition cruise calls in 2025, according to an Autumn 2024 survey conducted by Expedition Cruise Network (ECN).
Released during ECN’s inaugural conference in London, UK, this week, the survey suggests that that while Antarctica, Svalbard, Alaska and Greenland are “tipped for the most growth” in cruise calls from ECN members, warm water destinations are becoming increasingly popular.
The Galapagos Islands has marked “renewed growth” following a dip in cruise visits caused by Ecuador entering a state of emergency in May 2024, while ECN members such as Swan Hellenic and Aqua Expeditions are introducing new itineraries to South-west, West and East Africa in 2025 in response to demand from travel trade partners and consumers. ECN member cruise lines have also planned new expedition voyages to the Seychelles next year, and Aranui Cruises, a French Polynesian specialist, forecasts further growth in the Marquesas and Austral Islands. Vanuatu, a country formed of 83 islands in the South Pacific, is also working with ECN members to attract more expedition cruise ships in future.
“Our 2024-2025 travel trends really prove how diverse the expedition cruise industry is,” said Akvile Marozaite, CEO of ECN. “Expedition cruise has become known for opening up polar regions but warm weather expedition cruise has only just begun to light the touch paper of consumers’ imaginations and enthusiasm.”
Speaking at the conference, Marozaite shared that the UK’s expedition cruise sector is “buoyant”, estimating that 25,000 to 35,000 UK guests sail onboard expedition cruise ships annually and valuing the sector at around £200 ($262) million to £280 ($367) million.
All ECN members who responded to the autumn survey have either maintained the same level of, or increased, business through travel trade partners compared to 2023, with most reporting between 5 and 40 per cent growth, and one recording a “three-figure percentage” rise. Survey results show that UK travel trade partners now generate between 45 and 98 per cent of bookings for ECN members, with some operators “relying exclusively” on this channel to sell their itineraries. There has also been a “real growth” in the number of ECN members welcoming travel trade professionals onboard their vessels – each one has hosted an average of 32 agents over the past 12 months.
In addition, ECN’s autumn survey indicates that the average price for a seven-night expedition cruise is £7,300 ($9,573), although itineraries range from £500 ($657) for a two-night river cruise in India with Antara Cruises to £48,000 ($63,000) for a 28-day trip from New Zealand to the Ross region of Antarctica with Heritage Expeditions.
“The expedition cruise industry has a huge diversity of product and there are a wide range of prices to reflect this,” said Martin Johnson, co-founder and chair of ECN, who also spoke at the conference.
Operators also report that the average booking window for an expedition cruise is nine months. “There is a range of booking behaviours within this; there are operators reporting bookings as little as 30 days out from departure, whereas for others, a two-year booking window is not uncommon,” said Johnson, adding that expedition operators with a “wide variety” of itineraries have achieved repeat booking rates of 40 and 50 per cent.
During the conference, Marozaite also highlighted the “countless initiatives” its 26 expedition cruise operator members are investing in to build relationships with local communities and increase environmental sustainability. Showcasing two notable examples, she said: “AE Expeditions is the first cruise company to gain B Corp status and Maple Leaf Adventures has this incredible marine debris removal initiative.”
Read our new Expedition Cruise Business supplement, published in partnership with ECN, to learn more about the growth of the expedition cruise sector, popular destinations and experiences, and how the industry is building safe and comfortable ships for passengers.