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Ocean Village to target ‘mates escapes’
Ocean Village is launching a campaign to target groups of friends after research identified a newly emerging market.
The ‘Friendship report,’ commissioned by the cruise company, found 60% of Brits now supplement, and at times even replace, typical couple or family holidays with getaways with friends.
It found 25% of people in the UK see their very closest friends less than once a month and to compensate for lost time, a vast proportion of holidaymakers are embarking on ‘mates escapes.’
The report revealed that 54% of couples recognise the importance of regular holidays in maintaining strong friendships, and argue that their holidays away from their family/ partners are the only time of year that they get to spend quality time with their friends.
It also found 40% of married Brits take same sex holidays away from their partners, one in five Brits enjoy going away on holidays with their single friends, and 20% of UK couples do ‘double couple’ vacations.
Ocean Village urged agents to tailor their sales techniques for this growing market.
Managing director Peter Shanks said: “Cruises have traditionally been sold as holidays for couples and families but agents should increasingly think laterally about selling to groups of friends.
“Today’s cruise companies have a wealth of on-shore and on-ship activities and entertainment which have much wider appeal than just to the family sector.
“For example, the spa facilities and evening entertainment on board most ships would certainly appeal to a group of girlfriends. By the same token, being able to play golf on three or four different courses in a week, and in different countries, would appeal to groups of blokes.”
Ocean Village’s newest addition, Ocean Village Two, launches on April 24 and boasts a 14,000 square foot spa and fitness complex, with a state of the art ocean-view gym, a luxurious sauna and a calming meditation room.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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