More than a million Aussies took an ocean cruise in 2015, according to statistics just released by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
It’s an increase of 14 per cent in just one year and puts the Aussie cruise industry’s total market penetration to a significant 4.5 per cent- the highest in any global market!
Domestic cruising swelled an impressive 42 per cent, meaning 1 in 4 Aussie passengers cruised in local waters.
But it seems exotic Asia truly won us over last year, with the number of Aussies taking ocean cruises in the region jumping 71.5% from 55,000 in 2014 to a whopping 95,000 in 2015.
Australia’s cruise industry’s growth rate was the second-highest recorded globally over the past year, losing only to China which witnessed a staggering 40.3 per cent growth.
CLIA Australiasia Chairman Steve Odell puts the season’s success to a bigger, better range of quality cruises on offer.
“In 2015 we saw a range of new shorter coastal cruises sailing from Australian homeports and these have clearly captured the imagination of Australians, who see them as a new way to explore their nation.
“Whether they are on a four-day cruise to a Queensland island or a 14-day voyage exploring the exotic ports of Asia, clearly more Australians are discovering that cruising is an easy, relaxing and great value way to holiday.”
