Communicated Content- The Covid-19 pandemic brought many industries to a complete standstill, causing unknown damages to the economy. It is no doubt that the tourism industry was among the worst-hit, especially cruises due to the fact that they rely on large numbers of people confined to one area. This resulted in the industry suffering severely because of travel bans, social distancing and investors moving money elsewhere. This is not to mention the various cruise ships we have heard of with Covid-19 cases onboard and incorrect management of the situation, leading to various negative news stories about the industry. Carnival Cruises is trying to stimulate interest in the industry by offering cruises to nowhere, such as cruising to the South Pacific from Brisbane while enjoying the numerous activities on board. This can help cruise lines to recover economically.
In this piece, we shall look at seven things that can be done to recover from the pandemic’s impact on the cruise industry.
1. Adapt:
To overcome this global crisis, cruise companies must come up with innovative solutions to succeed. Businesses across industries have learned to adapt to the new normal and find ways to make things work. For the cruising companies, this means maneuvering around the travel restrictions and other control regulations. Some things they could do include:
- Adjusting cruise routes and lengths
- Admitting fewer travelers on board
- Rethinking their pricing strategies
2. Increase Trust:
When cruises reopen, some consumers may not jump on board out of the fear of infection and issues like onboard quarantine. This means that a spike in consumers could soon be followed by a steady decline once those who have missed the action all go on cruises. Strictly observing the Covid-19 control regulations can help the industry to regain trust from travelers. This means ensuring strict compliance, from sanitizing cruises regularly to providing numerous handwashing facilities, insisting on the wearing of masks, and ensuring social distancing in cruises. Trust is not easily gained, it will take time, careful planning and exceptional customer service.
3. Marketing:
To cope with the effects of the pandemic, the cruise tourism industry will also need to invest heavily in marketing. Expect cruise companies to partner with reputable health and travel insurance companies to brand their form of Covid-19 Cruise insurance as an attempt to draw in uninsured customers and bring fun to a difficult topic, maybe Carnival meerkats? The safety and health of travelers should come first, and this should be highlighted in the marketing campaigns. It will be difficult to gain market share in the tourism industry when travel bans are lifted with airlines and hotel chains attempting to capitalize on all the people that have been locked down for over a year now.
4. Further Transparency:
Again, we cannot overemphasize the importance of traveler safety and health when it comes to cruise tours. Nonetheless, cruise companies will have to ensure transparency to maintain a good reputation. This means revealing exactly what may happen if a cruise encounters Covid-19 contamination and stating clearly what costs the traveler might have to bear. This may require investment in an expert team of PR team with experience in the medical field.
5. Quarantine Periods:
Self-quarantine has been a travel requirement for a while now. Especially when you plan to take a flight, most airlines require you to self-isolate at least 10 days after taking the Covid-19 test. As a way to enhance trust, cruise companies will want to ensure similar requirements for their crew and staff members as well. Every staff or crew member should also have a Covid-free certificate before boarding the cruise ship.
6. Deals for Consumers Who Missed Out:
As mentioned earlier, cruise companies will need a more creative marketing approach to recover from the effects of the virus on the industry. For instance, providing a 2 for 1 for 2021 deals can be a creative way to fill up vessels for cruising enthusiasts who missed out in 2020. While this may reduce profit margin, getting the ball rolling with cruise liners will improve the new processes in place as well as generating more interest.
7. Get Lucky:
Finally, cruise companies will also need a lot of luck for everything to start sailing smoothly. Anyone will agree that this bit needs no further explaining.
Many months down the line, the globe is still struck and strangled by the pandemic. Many businesses might have resumed, but luxury travel doesn’t seem to be in a lot of luck. Hopefully, cruising operations resume soon, the above are just a few ways the involved companies can cope with the pandemic hardships.
