Australians Are Cruising Like Locals — Close to Home
Photo Caption: P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer, seen in Sydney Harbor, is part of a growing fleet based in Australia.
Skift Take
Australians have taken to cruising like ducks to water. With around 85 percent of bookings going through travel agents, this sector is providing a shot in the arm for travel retailers hit by falling margins in their bread-and-butter flights and hotels business.
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While the latest Cruise Lines International Association market report is still a couple of months away, it looks like Australians continue to break records. Passenger numbers for 2016 totaled 1.28 million – up 21 percent from the previous year, and the 2017 tally is expected to be bigger still.
And with a population of nearly 24.4 million, that means more than one in 19 Australians took a cruise — the highest per capita ratio in the world.
Cruise Lines International Association Managing Director Joel Katz attributes this growth to “the variety and diversity in cruise brands and experiences; growing capacity with more ships being homeported in Australia; and increased level of interest amongst travelers discovering
