SINGAPORE, 20 February 2024: ASEAN is a key growth region for Muslim cruise passengers, particularly Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, where cruise passengers grew 56% between 2019 and 2023.
That was just one of the key insights of the inaugural Muslim- Friendly Cruise Report 2024 released by Mastercard and CrescentRating on 16 February.
The report estimated that Muslim cruise line passengers grew by 8% between 2019 and 2023, suggesting a rising interest in cruise holidays among the region’s Muslim community.
The report also showed that passengers prefer to book via digital platforms. Among experienced cruise passengers, 48% of respondents booked directly through the cruise line’s website, while 14% used online travel agencies. Only 33% opted to book through travel agents or tour operators.
The split was even more pronounced for prospective passengers considering a cruise in the future, with 79% saying they would prefer to book directly through cruise operators’ websites, compared to 28% who would book through travel agents.
The report is the latest from the decade-long partnership between Mastercard and CrescentRating. The two parties have collaborated on 25 reports exploring various facets of Muslim travel, lifestyle and consumer behaviour, including the annual Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index.
With travel continuing to rebound across Asia Pacific and worldwide, the global cruise market passenger numbers in 2023 exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time. There were an estimated 1 million Muslim cruise passengers in 2023, and the annual total could reach 2.8 million by 2027. Website: https://www.crescentrating.com
