The number of Australians taking
a cruise has skyrocketed since last
year – and we’re also cruising for
longer, according to a new report.
IN 2011, 623,294 Australians took a cruise
holiday – nearly 160,000 more than the
previous year – a record growth of 34%.
By comparison, the world’s largest cruise
market, the United States, recorded only 4%
increase in passenger numbers, while the UK
reported a 5% rise.
The latest local figures, released yesterday
by the International Cruise Council Australasia
(ICCA), mean that 2.7% of the population
went on a cruise holiday last year, which
places Australia second in the world in terms
of “market penetration”.
According to the report, the number of
Australians taking a cruise has almost tripled
over the past five years.
ICCA Chairman Gavin Smith attributed the
growth to the wider range of ships available
locally and overseas, as well as increasing
awareness of the “all-inclusive” value that
cruises offer.
“Every year we are seeing more cruise ships
based in Australia and more ships visiting our
shores, taking the profile of cruising to new
heights and prompting an unprecedented
number of Australians to take to the seas for
their holidays,” he said.
The 2011 Cruise Industry Report also
estimated that Australians spent 6.5 million
days at sea – up 36% on 2010.
Local cruising to Australia, NZ and South
Pacific Islands accounted for 70% of Australian
cruise guests numbers in 2011, with the South
Pacific retaining its position as the most popular
destination, attracting 37% of passengers.
The number of Australians cruising to New
Zealand surged by 80%, largely due to the
increase in the number of trans-Tasman cruises.
River cruising saw a growth of 22% (almost
35,000 people), accounting for 6% of
Australian cruise passenger numbers.
Breaking the numbers down by state, ICCA
found that 40% of the nation’s cruise
passengers live in NSW, 24% in Queensland,
16% in Victoria and 9% in WA.
The country’s largest cruise operator, Carnival
Australia, welcomed the results as evidence of
Australians continued confidence in cruising.
“Strong local support for cruising as an
exciting holiday choice has led to another year
of extraordinary growth for the Australian
cruise industry, again confirming it as the
standout success of Australian tourism,” the
company’s CEO Ann Sherry said.
“We have merely scratched the surface of
the Australian cruise industry’s growth
potential,” she added.
