Executives and directors from cruise lines around the world gathered at the fifteenth edition of the International Cruise Summit in Madrid, where they analyzed all operational areas of the cruise industry, highlighting the predominant role AI is set to play.
The fifteenth edition of the International Cruise Summit, held on November 18 and 19 in Madrid, addressed all the challenges facing the industry, where AI is gaining ground every day in optimizing processes such as itinerary planning, online sales, and even the prevention of environmental impacts.
ICS 2025 was inaugurated by Carolina Toledo Martínez de Galinsoga, Deputy Director General of Tourism Promotion of the Community of Madrid, and Gustavo Santana Hernández, President of Puertos del Estado. The event featured prominent executives from more than 25 cruise lines, ports, tour operators, travel agents, shipping agents, consultancies, and companies from the sector worldwide.
The cruise industry reached 35 million passengers in 2024, generating 440,000 jobs in Europe alone and a global economic impact estimated at $198 billion, 18% more than the previous year. Despite this, government authorities remain unaware of the benefits this type of tourism brings to local communities and continue to create new tourist taxes that negatively impact the industry. Therefore, the importance of better communicating the value of cruise tourism was emphasized, especially as it is leading the way in implementing sustainability measures.
The application of AI in all operational areas of the sector was a major topic of discussion. For example, in sales, Expedia has launched an AI-powered travel planner expected to be used by 400 million people, and the e-Hoi group also plans to launch an AI sales assistant. Regarding itinerary planning, there are still factors that tip the balance in favor of humans over AI, but in areas such as operational process optimization, AI already plays a significant role.
The luxury segment is growing three times faster than the sector average, with new companies emerging under hotel brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Orient Express, or Aman.
Jonathan L. Wilson, President and CEO of Aman at Sea, was interviewed by Virginia López Valiente, CEO of CruisesNews Media Group, where he gave exclusive details about the product they will offer starting summer 2027 on their yacht Amangati. The 94 passengers of this luxury oasis will be attended by 207 crew members, providing experiences such as embarking and disembarking by helicopter. Wilson defined luxury as “something money can’t buy,” so his company will focus on enabling guests to create unique memories, such as larger suites with 10×10 feet windows, Japanese inspiration, and stops at some of the world’s most exclusive locations.
Other highlights:
– Both in the luxury sector and among standard companies, there is an increasing focus on providing passengers with unique experiences, from routes through movie filming locations to transforming a simple transfer from the airport to the ship into a train excursion through a natural park.
– These experiences are also generating opportunities to create content to promote cruises on social media, a channel that has become fundamental for companies in their sales strategies.
– The impact of climate change on the sector was also analyzed, with cities expected to reach temperatures around 45ºC in summer, making it impossible for passengers to enjoy excursions as usual. Some cities are beginning to develop contingency plans, and at the ICS, there was debate about the pros and cons of cruises making stops and thus excursions in the afternoon or evening.
The dates for ICS 2026 have already been announced: it will be held on November 10 and 11 at the Hotel Meliá Castilla in Madrid.
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