Dipti Adhia, Country Director, Discover the World India, shares insights on the evolving Indian cruise traveller, the destinations and products seeing strong demand, the impact of current global challenges on outbound travel, and how Discover the World India is working closely with the travel trade to make cruise holidays more relevant, accessible and easier to sell.
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How is the Indian outbound cruise traveller evolving, and which cruise products or destinations are currently seeing the strongest demand from India?
The Indian outbound cruise traveller is evolving rapidly, becoming more experienced, aspirational, well-travelled, and increasingly open to diverse cruise experiences. Ocean cruising remains the preferred choice for first-time cruisers, with strong demand for destinations such as Alaska, the Bahamas, Mediterranean, Australia, and the Caribbean on leading cruise lines like Carnival Cruise Line. There is also growing interest in destination-focused experiences, including Greek Island itineraries with Celestyal and European river cruises with AmaWaterways, VIVA Cruises, and Nicko cruises. River cruising across Europe is witnessing strong demand, particularly among affluent travellers seeking cultural enrichment, smaller ships, and destination-focused itineraries.
In light of the current geopolitical unrest, rising airfares and the recent appeal by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on avoiding unnecessary foreign travel, how do you see outbound cruise demand being impacted?
The current geopolitical situation, higher airfares, and the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s guidance on avoiding non-essential travel have understandably impacted outbound travel demand in the short term. We fully respect these considerations and recognise that travellers are exercising greater caution when planning international holidays. However, travel demand has historically proven resilient, and we remain confident that as conditions stabilise, interest in outbound cruising will return. The long-term fundamentals remain strong, with Indian travellers continuing to seek unique and enriching global travel experiences.
How is your organisation working with the travel trade to make cruise holidays more relevant, accessible and easier to sell for Indian travellers?
We work closely with the travel trade through a combination of training, education, and experiential learning initiatives to make cruise holidays easier to understand and sell. Our focus is on equipping travel advisors with the knowledge and confidence to match the right cruise product to the right traveller, whether it is ocean cruising, river cruising, or expedition voyages. Recently, we hosted a river cruise FAM trip on VIVA Cruises aboard VIVA Enjoy from Budapest to Nuremberg with travel partners & trade media. The feedback was exceptional, with many partners highlighting how the firsthand experience transformed their understanding of river cruising and its appeal to Indian travellers. Complementing such initiatives are webinars, roadshows, eDMs, trade media engagement, sales visits, and marketing support, all designed to help our partners confidently position and sell cruise holidays.
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