22 MARKETWATCH Cruise lines take advantage of boom in golf tourism According to Future Market Insights’ 2025 Golf Tourism Market Analysis, the global golf tourism market is projected to reach a market value of $65.8 billion by 2035, highlighting the increasing appeal of golf-related travel experiences. With more cruise passengers looking for experiences suited to their interests, the popularity of golf cruises looks set to rise. Luxury golf tour operator PerryGolf and Azamara Cruises are well-positioned to take advantage of the boom in golf tourism due to their long-term partnership. Many golf cruise programmes are already set for 2026, covering New Zealand and Australia, the UK and Ireland, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan; the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea and the Caribbean. River operators have also been expanding river golf cruise programming for 2026. AmaWaterways has extended its ‘concierge golf programme’ to a second destination following the success of its Danube cruise on AmaMagna. In August 2026, guests on AmaDante will be able to play five top French courses, including Le Golf National, which hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup, as part of the ‘Impressions of the Seine & Paris’ sailing. Another luxury river cruise line that has announced a dedicated golf cruise for 2026 is Amadeus River Cruises. Amadeus Aurea will sail in June 2026 on its ‘Golf Cruise on the Rhine’ itinerary and, in addition to exploring European cities like Strasbourg, Cologne and Amsterdam, guests will be able to play golf at top French and German courses, take in views of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and see Reichsburg Cochem. Other cruise lines have taken steps into the golf cruise sector, with Regent Seven Seas Cruises sailing a 14-night ‘Spotlight Voyage’ around the UK and Ireland in June 2025. Annika Sörenstam, regarded as one of the best female golfers of all time, was the headline host of the excursion, which included rounds at six prestigious courses, including Trump Turnberry in Scotland and Portstewart in Northern Ireland. And in July 2025, Riverside Luxury Cruises launched a cruise dedicated to golf with the Riverside Mozart ship taking golf-loving cruisers from Vienna, Austria, along the Danube to Budapest, Hungary.
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