The recent ITB India exhibition at Mumbai’s BKC lit up the Jio Convention Centre with dynamic exchanges, strengthening ties between exhibitors and buyers from September 2–4, 2025. The event witnessed the interaction of over 200 exhibitors across prominent destinations like Bali, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, etc., Indian and international tourism boards, and thousands of industry connoisseurs in these three days. The verve of the event was elevated with continuous knowledge-sharing interaction, presentations, and discussions that took place on two knowledge pavilions, heightening the engagement levels.
Focus Cruise: Setting Sail for Growth
One of the highlights of ITB Mumbai 2025 is to revamp the Indian Cruise Tourism Landscape. The event saw the official launch of the India Cruise Forum, a B2B initiative co-conceptualised by STIC Travel Group and DDP Group to connect global cruise players with Indian travel professionals. Running alongside the trade show, the ITB India Conference 2025 hosted 40+ sessions across Knowledge Theatre, MICE & Corporate, Travel Tech, and Experiential Travel, with cruises emerging as one of the most vibrant themes on Sept 3.
Focusing on cruise, the opening session Setting Sail for Growth: The Indian Cruise Outlook showcased by Isha Goyal, CEO, STIC Group, and Nikhil Jeet, Director, Buzz Travel Marketing, revealed the unexplored potential of cruise packages by broadening the socio-economic and demographic reach of the target audience, optimizing AI and technology in this segment, as well as upgrading knowledge-sharing strategies with B2B & B2C players.
Evolution of Cruise Tourism
Cruise tourism has always been referred to as a boutique segment, yet it has been neglected and evolved magnanimously over the last one and a half decades, witnessing a major manoeuvre during COVID-19. The exponential boom of technology has created opportunities for everyone to upscale their travel experiences. During the presentation, Nikhil Jeet revealed interesting parameters, such as exploring the middle-class family segment of 400 to 600 million, which will be fuelling growth massively, as the average age of a traveller in the Asia-Pacific region is 39, whereas in India, it is 29. The approximate count of tech-savvy and internet-ready travellers is 800 million, who are willing to spend on luxury and experiential travel. The last point focuses on the disposable income of tier-II and tier-III cities.
Present Scenario of Cruise Tourism
The tourism industry is fairly orbiting around 35 to 40 million outbound trips, while global cruising counts 32 million travellers. Looking ahead, Isha Goyal noted, “That number is expected to grow by 20 per cent in the next four years. What is interesting is that 20 per cent growth does not factor in the 50 million outbound trips Indians are making. What is also interesting is that almost one-third of that number comes from multi-generational cruising, and what that means is that it is not just retired uncles and aunties who are going on cruises.”
Globally, it has been observed that there is a 27 per cent increase in demand for cruise travel in the last couple of years, and 40 per cent of travellers booked their second cruise experience within six months.
Strategically Exploring the Uncharted Territory of Cruise Tourism
With fine-tuned B2B and B2C strategies complemented by delightful experiences like the introduction of regional languages, curating hassle-free processes, and taking care of cultural and dietary preferences, the Indian cruise tourism sector is going to be the next essential aspect. While the curation of cruise packages is always at the forefront, making it a profit-making statement is also important.
Cruise packages marketed through a proper ecosystem can cultivate long-term sustainability. Proper knowledge-sharing platforms to create awareness about the packages, products, and services, and identifying the right markets and audiences are inevitable to enable travel agents, DMCs, representative companies, and prominent B2B players to contribute massively to selling cruise packages. Rather than competing at a micro level, fostering cooperation at a macro level can trigger the much-awaited revolution in cruise tourism. Nikhil Jeet also remarked that cruises should be sold with the same confidence as an LIC agent, positioning them as one of the most desired aspects of travel.
An array of themes like the role of technology, harmonising profit with purpose, compliance essentials with hassle-free insurances, etc., had been explored pertaining to the evolving landscape of the tourism and travel industry, with a pivotal focus on curated luxury travel.
More Cruise Conversations
Amidst the spotlight on cruise tourism, the session Small Ships, Grand Journeys: India’s New Wave of Luxury Expedition Travel featured Isha Goyal, Romil Pant (Thomas Cook India Limited), Nishith Saxena (Cruise Professionals LLP), and Kiran Bhandari (Polarverse). The discussion emphasised the growing importance of boutique ships and yacht expeditions in shaping premium travel experiences and redefining luxury at sea. Speakers also underscored the pivotal role of Indian travel agents and cruise advisors in bridging knowledge gaps, creating awareness, and curating purpose-driven, high-value cruise experiences for discerning travellers.
The session Niche to Norm: Unlocking the Regional Cruise Revolution featured Jurgen Bailom (Cordelia Cruises), Jasmeet Singh (MakeMyTrip), Naresh Rawal (StarDream Cruises), and Nikhil Jeet, who examined the forces driving cruise expansion. Discussions ranged from the growing role of MICE tourism and infrastructure development to innovative itineraries that showcase India’s cultural richness. Panelists also stressed the importance of responsible sales practices, urging agents to move away from discounting and underselling cruise products.
Another pivotal discussion, Responsible Tourism in India, moderated by Ajay Prakash (TAFI), brought together Dev Karvat (Asego), Suma Venkatesh (IHCL), and Nalini Gupta (Lotus Destinations). The panel explored how profitability and purpose can coexist, underscoring sustainability, community engagement, and the need for long-term industry resilience as central to shaping India’s tourism future.
