New research from YouGov shows a strong appetite for cruise travel, as well as the importance of social media to drawing travelers to the niche. According to the study, 31 percent of U.S. adults say that they have been on a cruise before and 16 percent say that they plan on cruising within the next year.
Those who become attracted to cruises tend to fall into three categories, YouGov said: first-time cruisers (6%), repeat cruisers (12%) and lapsed cruisers (18%). Nightlife is an important influencer for these groups, according to the survey – first time cruisers (14%) and repeat cruisers (16%) are significantly more likely than overall leisure travelers (11%) to say that nightlife options, such as clubs, bars and restaurants, factor into why they choose certain vacation types over others.
In terms of where travelers are learning about cruises, online ads, particularly ones on social media, are tops. YouGov speculated that this might be because both first-time and repeat cruisers tend to skew younger: 42 percent of first-time cruisers and 45 percent of repeat cruisers are Millennials. Additionally, both first-time cruisers (50%) and repeat cruisers (60%) are more likely than the average American (32%) to agree that they engage with ads on social media more than they do with ads on regular websites.
YouGov is a global public opinion and data company.
Related Stories
Stats: Cruise, Hotel Earnings Growth Slows
Stats: Gen Z Least Cost-Sensitive Generation of Travelers