Following record attendance at recent Australian cruise conferences, Ben Angell, VP & Managing Director APAC at Norwegian Cruise Line, examines future growth opportunities for the Australian cruise industry, highlighting three key approaches to drive sustainable success and unlock Australia’s cruising potential.
It’s been great to spend time with so many supporters of the cruise industry at CLIA Cruise360 and the Australian Cruise Association Conference in recent weeks. Both enjoying record attendance, I’ve never seen so much support for the cruise industry from so many, including travel agents, government, port authorities, tourism bodies and more.
Across the two conferences, there was wide-ranging discussion about future growth opportunities for the Australian cruise industry and what I consider to be the three key approaches to deliver on these opportunities.
Firstly, Australia is fortunate to have a highly successful homeport cruising model, celebrated for unprecedented growth in recent years. Hugely popular with Australians – approximately 1 million Australians cruise within Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific each year – domestic cruising also acts as an ‘on-ramp’ for first-time cruisers from the region.
Secondly, Australia is a world-class tourism destination and on the bucket list for many inbound cruise visitors from around the world. Popular with those responsible for measuring inbound arrivals, spend and dispersal, these visitors often combine a land holiday with their cruise, stay longer, spend more and visit more destinations throughout Australia.
Collectively, homeport cruising and inbound cruise arrivals inject AU$5 billion into the Australian economy each year, and both are critical to the future success of cruise in the region.
But, the third and perhaps most exciting opportunity – particularly if you are as enthusiastic about promoting the value, convenience and desirability of a cruise holiday as I am – is the outbound Fly Cruise.
Fly Cruise, flying to join a cruise in an international country outside of Australia, remains largely untapped in this market. In 2023, 85% of Australians who cruised did so within Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. This means just 200,000 Australians cruised in other parts of the world.
Contrast that to the more than seven million Australians who travelled overseas in 2023 and the opportunity is clear. How many Australians would consider an overseas cruise holiday if they fully appreciated the exceptional value, convenience and almost endless variety a cruise offers?
And best of all, Australians who fly overseas to cruise typically do so in addition to land-based holiday plans. A win/win for the industry and the travel consultant making the booking.
So is now the time to rebalance our Australian cruise view with an elevated focus on Fly Cruise? Fly Cruise presents an unbeatable holiday proposition for Australians travelling overseas.
It provides a pathway to significant and sustainable growth for Australian cruising. And, critically, it delivers a valuable earning opportunity for Australian travel agents.
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