Australia’s cruise tourism delivered AUD$7.32 billion in economic impact in 2024-25, yet this result reflects a $1.1 billion year-on-year drop (down 13.2%) compared to the record output in 2023-24, signalling a worrying loss of market share to other countries.
The Value of Cruise Tourism economic impact report shows demand for cruising holidays in Australia supported 22,000 jobs (down 13.8% YOY) in FY25.
The new report, commissioned by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the Australian Cruise Association (ACA), highlights that Australia’s cruise sector contributed one of its highest annual economic benefits results, driven by passenger spending.
As Cruise Month activity winds up, CLIA Australasia Managing Director Joel Katz said the report confirmed the importance of cruise tourism to the Australian economy and called for action to support the industry.
“Demand for cruising is at record levels internationally and Australians continue to be among the world’s most passionate cruisers,” he said.
“However, Australia’s cruise community has been warning for some time that we risk losing tourism to other countries because of a difficult regulatory environment and high operating costs.
“This report confirms we face headwinds and that action is needed to create a better environment for cruising in Australia,” Katz said.
Fewer ship visits = less visitor spend
ACA CEO Jill Abel said cruise ships visited 56 ports and destinations around Australia in FY25, although the number of ship visits decreased by 2.7 per cent to 1,700 port days. The average passenger spend per day on shore is $440 per person (down 1.1%).
“Cruise passengers spent more than $1.82 billion around Australia last year, but this was down 5.9 per cent because there were fewer ship visits,” she said.
“Cruise visits create a huge windfall for businesses around the country, many of which are small-to-medium-sized operators like local tour companies, shops, restaurants, travel agents, farmers and other suppliers.”
CLIA and ACA call for a national action plan across governments to support cruise tourism, improve Australia’s competitiveness, attract more ships, safeguard jobs and create greater economic opportunities in destinations around the country.
“Australia needs to create a coordinated national approach to cruise tourism, bringing together all elements of government and industry, so that we can return to growth and maximise the benefits to local communities,” Abel said.
Read more here.
