New ships joining the local fleet, a thirst for sea breaks and increased marketing activity has pushed the Australian market past the big one million mark, six years ahead of schedule.
The target of one million Australian cruise passengers was originally slated to be achieved by 2020.
Last year, this target was adjusted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia, to be achieved in 2016.
However, according to the latest CLIA Source Market Report for Australia released this morning, the Australian cruise market is growing so rapidly, it managed to break the one million mark last year – well ahead of schedule.
In total, 1,003,256 Australians took to the sea. That’s 20.4 percent more than 2013.
Australia also retained its position as the world leader for penetration, with 4.2 percent of Australians taking a cruise last year, significantly ahead of the North American market, which is at 3.4 percent.
Australia is also now the fourth largest source market in the world for cruise passengers, accounting for 4.5 percent of world cruisers, behind North America, Germany and the UK/Ireland.
Speaking at the report launch, CLIA Australasia Chairman Gavin Smith said Australians’ enthusiasm for cruising was unparalleled around the world, with France the only other major world market to achieve double digit growth (13.6 percent) in 2014.
“The expansion of our industry in recent years means there’s now a huge range of ships and itineraries on offer across the globe and I think Australians, who are inveterate travellers, are responding by increasingly factoring a cruise into their holiday plans.”
Gavin Smith, CLIA Australasia Chairman
The South Pacific continued to be the most popular destination, with 39 percent of Australians cruising through the region.
Scenic, APT, Travelmarvel and more can rejoice over news that river cruising continues to boom, attracting nearly 80,000 Aussies last year – up 62 percent on the prior year.