According to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), UK travellers spent over £43bn on overseas vacations in

2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, 10% of all holidays taken were cruises, with 60% of the population

stating an interest in booking a holiday on board a cruise ship. UK based company, P&O cruises has a turnover of just

under £1bn and holds about 2.5% share of the global market. It is one of 10 cruise line brands owned by Carnival

Corporation and Plc, the largest leisure travel company in the world.

2021 shows strong signs of post-pandemic recovery for P&O cruises, with the launch of a new ship, Iona in May. Iona

boasts 32 places to eat, an on board gin distillery and a night club/music venue featuring Gary Barlow as Musical

Director. However, with an average age of 57 for cruise passengers and concerns over the sustainability of the industry

as a whole, widening the appeal of cruising to younger consumers remains a challenge.

Based on your knowledge of the strategic marketing process, how might P&O cruises address this problem? Create a

strategic marketing plan to address the following questions:

1. Discuss the pros and cons of Market Orientation as a strategic direction for P&O cruises, offering justification

for why it may be a suitable choice.

2. Using a suitable external analysis tool, highlight the key Threats and Opportunities currently faced by P&O

cruises.

3. Based on the Opportunities and Threats you have highlighted, recommend a new positioning and value

proposition statement designed to target younger consumers.

4. Suggest a tactical activity plan to support the new proposition and positioning.

5. To track the success of your proposed new proposition and activities, present a selection of suitable KPIs and

metrics.

All of these questions are equally weighted. Please ensure your strategic marketing plan has a title page, a list of

contents, an executive summary and a short conclusion.

Ensure to use SMART and KPI measures, and SWOT analysis