Cruise tourism has been the fastest growing sector of the tourist industry for the past twenty years. Since 1980, the industry has had an average annual passenger growth rate of 8.1% per annum. Since 1980, nearly 100 million passengers have taken a deep-water cruise (2 + days). Thirty-seven percent of total passengers have been generated in the past five years alone.
The tourism industry is almost linked to its social context. One parameter for the longer term development of society is the current demographic shift. In the tourism system the socio demographic shift and especially the advancing ageing society will result the changes of demand side.
At global level, the world population will continue to grow. The demographic shifting is taking in different form. In Germany for examples, in 2001 20.9% of the German population was below 20 and 24.1% over 60 years. By 2050 only 16.1% will be below 20, compared to 36.7% aged 60 and above.
Given the demographic trend, senior citizen will grow as tourist market segment in Europe. Improvement in the state of health of older persons or grater technological and organizational convenience in travel may help activate the potential for tourism. One particular reason for believing that senior tourist will remain the principal source of growth for tourism in the future is the fact that much of this market segment still currently financially secure, so that there are substantial purchasing power available.
The European Cruise Council (ECC) indicated that in 2003 some 2.67 million passengers in Europe took a cruise holiday. The Mediterranean remains the top destination with almost 1.6 million cruise ship passengers.
Cruise design product design must adapt to the fact that its customer are aging. The growing number of older people in the total population will be accompanied by an increase of health problems. Packages that combine cruise and nursing care needed which is still rare in the tourist market.
The cruise is a growing industry nowadays. They are offering a mixture of transportation, travel, leisure and relaxation. The product is the combination of cruise tourism and nursing care with the medium size and specialist ships. The supporting facilities and services related with the health treatment, relaxation, knowledge, socialization, and nostalgia. The market trend is senior tourist with the Mediterranean Sea as destination. The distribution channel still tour operator in the first choice for making the decision for vacation and followed by the advertisement of television and newspaper.