CRUISE Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its first post-pandemic report on the performance of the local market, indicating that cruising’s revival in the region has been “resoundingly welcomed by cruise fans”. CLIA’s 2022 Australian Ocean Source Market report shows a total of 457,200 Aussies setting sail in the latter...
CRUISE Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its first post-pandemic report on the performance of the local market, indicating that cruising’s revival in the region has been “resoundingly welcomed by cruise fans”.
CLIA’s 2022 Australian Ocean Source Market report shows a total of 457,200 Aussies setting sail in the latter part of the year after the cruise ban was lifted.
The strong result comes despite a limited number of ships in the region and effectively just six months of local operations, according to Managing Director Joel Katz.
“Cruise travel among Australians accelerated significantly in the lead-up to the summer season, and we estimate that by the last quarter of the year passenger numbers had reached approximately 90% of the levels seen in the same quarter of 2019,” he noted.
“All the indicators suggest Australia’s cruise recovery is progressing faster than other parts of the world where operations resumed much earlier,” Katz enthused.
The report highlights a clear preference among Aussie cruisers for local sailings last year, with 90% choosing close to home departures – compared to 75%-80% in previous years.
CLIA Chair Ben Angell from Norwegian Cruise Line said while just a handful of vessels had participated in the initial stages of the restart, by the end of summer more than 40 international ships had arrived.
“By next summer we expect to welcome around 60 international cruise ships to local waters, which is similar to 2019 levels,” he said.
Angell said CLIA forecasts cruise passenger volumes will return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, adding “cruiser sentiment is going from strength to strength”.
“Travel agents are reporting strong demand for cruises well into the future, and the Australian cruise industry is on track to catch up to the rest of the world quite swiftly,” he added.
View a report summary HERE.
