Ship ahoy! Aussies love a life on the ocean wave
SYDNEY – Of 20.5 million Australians, 263,435 took a sea cruise holiday last year – or almost one in every 80 men, women and children.
Another 11,761 Australians bobbed along the rivers and canals of Europe.
The 2007 total is a 116 per cent jump over a five-year period, according to an umbrella body, International Cruise Council Australasia.
The Melbourne Age reported that cruise officials say their leisure niche is poised for another bumper year – and will be less buffeted by the stormy seas of economic turbulence than the rest of the troubled travel industry.
Twin trends are the popularity of ever-larger ships carrying more and more passengers, as well as small, specialist vessels going to off-the-beaten-track destinations.
Statistics from International Cruise Council Australasia reveal more than six in 10 Australians opt for the waters of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Asian destinations attract roughly nine per cent of the market, with Alaska and Europe (mostly the Mediterranean) luring slightly less.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season