Australia Becomes Fastest-growing Cruise Market

With 2013 firmly behind us, it may be tempting to think that there’s not much more news to be gleaned from what was a premier cruising year. However, a 2013 Australasia report from the Cruise Lines International Association has brought the exciting news that Australia is now officially the fastest-growing cruise market in the world.

Over the last year, Australia saw passenger numbers reach an unprecedented 833,438, the highest ever recorded in the region. The number of Australian cruise passengers increased by 20% in 2013, after a fantastic increase of 11% the year before.

It’s no wonder that there’s been this surge in popularity. Not only is the country a beautiful place to visit itself, but it offers remarkable access to some other far-flung destinations. From South Asia to the gorgeous islands of the South Pacific, there are some incredible cruise itineraries to be had when you embark from the country. Which is probably a premier reason why so many Australians are setting sail from their native country.

In fact, the CLIA anticipates that the Australian cruise industry will be welcoming 1 million passengers by the year 2016. The report also yielded some intriguing statistics which show changing trends in the kind of voyages cruisers are taking. There’s been a surge in popularity of cruisers taking 8-14 day cruises, rather week long adventure. In short, not only are more Australians choosing cruising, but they are travelling on-board for longer, and on more varied itineraries.

The latest figures have created some all-new developments in the cruise industry which makes this an exciting time for cruisers. P&O Cruises Australia have announced that two brand new ships will be joining the fleet in 2015, demonstrating the huge amount of confidence in the region’s cruise industry. This latest news follows trends from around the world which demonstrate cruising is becoming ever more popular – with both the Caribbean and the Mediterranean experiencing huge numbers of visitors over the last couple of years.