New locally based cruise ships, itineraries to Asia and investment in the market has contributed to another record year for Australian cruising.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia today revealed the stats on Australian cruising and let’s just say Travel Agents who specialise in the sector have A LOT to smile about.
Last year, some 1.06 million Aussies set out on an ocean cruise vacation – that’s a 15 percent growth on the prior year. It’s also around 4.5 percent of the entire market.
We’re on fire!
Perhaps one of the best pieces of information from the recent study is the fact that domestic cruising increased 42 percent last year (one in four cruised locally) – giving cruise lines even more reason to send their ships to our part of the world – we’re talking to you Disney.
South Pacific holidays were still popular, while Europe is now the third highest cruise destination for Australians.
All those new Asia itineraries from P&O Cruises and Carnival have made Asia a new hot spot for Aussies, with a 71 percent hike in Australians cruising the region last year compared to the prior year.
In case you forgot, in 2014 Australia reached its one million target well ahead of the 2020 schedule, so now we’re aiming for an incredible two million by the end of the decade.