Japan’s Cruise Market Booming, Major Players Expanding Business
The Japanese cruise market has nearly doubled in size over the past decade and is expected to make further strides in 2025 and beyond.
The global cruise market has expanded rapidly after the fallout of the Corona disaster, but recovery in the Japanese market is still seen as having a ways to go.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the number of cruise passengers worldwide grew by 10 million to 29.7 million in the 10 years from 2009 to 2019. And by 2023, after the COVID-19 disaster, the number had grown to 31.7 million, 2 million more than in 2019; it is also projected to reach 39.7 million by 2027.
Meanwhile, the number of passengers in Japan was less than 200,000, still less than 60% of the pre-COVID level. For this reason, Japanese cruise lines are hoping that the Japanese cruise market will have a period of recovery and growth in the coming years, and that it will become an alternative to overseas travel, which has stagnated due to the weak yen.
For example, NYK Group company Yusen Cruises launched Asuka III, its first new cruise ship in 34 years, in July. Together with the current Asuka II, the company plans to operate two ships for the first time.
MOL Cruises also put into service last December the Seabourn Odyssey, an all-suite cruise ship owned by U.S.-based Seabourn Cruises, after renovating it into its own cruise ship, the MITSUI OCEAN FUJI. The company has established a two-ship fleet with the existing Nippon Maru, and has also announced the construction of two more new passenger ships.
In addition, Oriental Land, the operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, has announced its entry into the cruise market, planning to operate a short cruise under the title of “Family Entertainment Cruise” starting in fiscal 2028.
In Europe and the United States, cruises are a form of travel used by 3-5% of the population, and cruising is already considered a mature industry. In Japan, on the other hand, the cruise market is overwhelmingly used by senior repeaters, and attracting new clientele such as younger passengers has been a longstanding issue for the industry as a whole.
Applying the boarding rates of Europe and the United States to the Japanese population, it is estimated that 3 to 4 million people use cruises annually.
The Japanese cruise market appears to be booming.
(source) https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5eac7f00c8555084759cd24cf42950a85da195ee
