All aboard: Australians in record cruise growth
The Australian cruise industry is now ranked No 1 in the world for market growth and penetration, with latest industry figures revealing a record 833,348 Australians took a cruise last year.
The launch of the 2013 Cruise Industry Source Market Report shows Australian cruise passenger numbers soared 20% in 2013, more than double the growth rate of any other major cruise market.
With the equivalent of 3.6% of the Australian population taking a cruise in 2013, Australia has become the first nation to achieve a stronger penetration rate than the world’s largest passenger source market, North America.
In 2013, the equivalent of 3.3% of the North American population took a cruise.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia chairman Gavin Smith said: "With more ships being deployed in Australia in 2014 and 2015, we’ve set course for continued growth over the next few years, so the benchmark of one million annual cruise passengers should be reached by 2016, if not before."
Key findings of the 2013 CLIA Australasia Cruise Industry Source Market Report for Australia include:
– The South Pacific continues to dominate as a cruise destination, with almost 80,000 more Australians cruising the region in 2013, taking the total number to more than 330,000 (40% of the market)
– River cruising numbers leapt 25% as almost 50,000 Australians took to inland waterways
– Asian cruising is on the rise again with passenger numbers up 28% to a record 44,382 as cruise ship capacity starts to expand
– The number of Australians cruising to New Zealand has almost reached 100,000
– The number of passengers taking cruises of 8-14 days saw a massive spike, rising almost 35%.
Ian Jarrett
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