The cruise industry is gearing up for a remarkable period of growth, with global sales expected to reach 15.10 billion dollars by 2028, registering a year-on-year growth rate of 11.0% between now and 2028, according to the BIT Observatory.

The sector has gained a new focus, especially in Italy, driven by a combination of new solutions and destinations, in line with changing traveller preferences, and above all by a strong focus on sustainable living and environmental issues. Contributing to this momentum is the expansion of top cruise lines such as Celebrity and Azamara.

As Luana Vitale, Key Account Italy of the two brands, notes, “cruising is not yet very popular in Italy when compared to other holiday alternatives. It is a young sector, but one that is increasingly convincing new customers, and that above all is capable of building their loyalty”.

Specifically, the two brands are proving their ability to adapt to new needs and new types of travelers, with a decisive focus on the value for money of cruising and a focus on destinations: “The ‘value gap’ of our brands, when compared to similar land-based experiences, is on average 40%, i.e., we offer much more than any other type of holiday. Furthermore, our proposals stand out for their emphasis on destinations, featuring longer stopovers, and often ‘overnight stays’, for a truly immersive experience”.

The shift towards environmental sustainability is embedded in the strategy of these two brands and a much-needed objective for the cruise industry as a whole. “This is a fundamental issue for the future of the industry”, Vitale says. “As members of the international CLIA association, they have a solid energy transition plan that will reach zero net emissions in 2050. We are currently actively working to reduce the carbon and environmental footprint of cruising, through new sources of energy such as LNG, biofuels, advanced waste water treatment systems, waste recycling, and also by exploiting increasingly efficient ship designs”.

Moreover, there are many new features offered by the two companies, particularly the itineraries, which are increasingly valuable. Celebrity offers, for example, breathtakingly beautiful itineraries such as the Greek islands, Japan, South America and Alaska; Azamara stands out with its “Intensive Voyages”, which allow passengers to fully explore a single destination. The presence of luxury ships such as Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Equinox provides Italians with the opportunity to experience the best of high-end cruising directly from Italian ports.

So, the range on offer in recent years is expanding and full of opportunities, which will be explored in depth at BIT Milan, next February. “After the forced break in 2020”, Vitale concludes, “our brands will exceed pre-pandemic volumes this year. And the future prospects are optimistic because we are increasing our capacity with the arrival of new ships in our fleet, such as the Celebrity Ascent ( to be delivered at the end of November 2023) and the Celebrity Xcel (to be delivered in November 2025). We come to BIT24 with enthusiasm and the knowledge that it is one more space to discuss the new perspectives of this industry”.