Germany has slipped to fourth behind Australia as a passenger source market for Cunard, with the hunger among Aussies for the upscale brand proving insatiable, the brand’s director of marketing Angus Struthers has revealed.
Addressing media yesterday in Sydney, Struthers said the figures for the full year in 2014 pushed Australia into third behind the brand’s core UK and US markets.
“I can confirm that Australia is indeed the third largest source market for Cunard,” he said.
“It was the fastest growing of our major markets last year and overtook Germany and it shows the continuing growth and love towards Cunard. We’re ecstatic.”
Bookings from the Australian market for Cunard skyrocketed 30% year-on-year in 2014, and Struthers said the line would be blown away if 2015 proved to be “anywhere close” to the growth levels seen last year.
Demand for global voyages was also strong, with Australia in second place for longer sailings.
Anticipation continues to grow for the line’s 175th anniversary celebrations, which will see six weeks of parties taking place both onboard and on land, with Australians to play a major part.
Queen Mary 2 will set off on 04 Jul for a recreation crossing of the first of the line’s transatlantic voyages from Liverpool to North America, with Struthers saying that 800 of the ship’s 2,600 pax on the voyage are Australians.
“Australians have had a long association with Cunard during the course of its 175 years and I think that Cunard continues to resonate in terms of its unique proposition,” Struthers added.
He admitted that the flood of new capacity into cruising further consolidated Cunard’s position at the higher end of the market.
“Our job is making sure that we attract the right people onto the right ships. I think we just have to be confident and celebrate all that is good about Cunard.
“Cunard will always be the more traditional, more formal end of the cruise line spectrum.”
MEANWHILE, Struthers added that Cunard’s business model meant he couldn’t foresee the line getting too involved with the China market as others are doing.
“I’m not convinced there are any quick, significant wins in China. It’s a market you have to approach with caution but also with commitment,” he said.
