The number of Australians who took a cruise holiday in 2011 soared 34% to a record 623,294, new figures have shown.
Seven out of 10 passengers boarded local voyages with the South Pacific remaining the most popular destination, attracting 37% (230,321) of the market.
The number of Australians cruising to New Zealand surged 80% to 84,000.
River cruising also reported a strong year with passenger numbers rising 22% to almost 35,000. It accounted for 6% of Australian cruise numbers.
Gavin Smith, chairman of the International Cruise Council Australasia, said: “While other industries have waivered in these tough economic times, cruising has continued to expand, with its popularity in Australia growing significantly year-on-year,” he said.
The increasing number of range of ships and greater awareness of the product were key reasons behind the growth, he said.
The 34% increase far outstripped the UK and US with growth from those markets rising 5% and 4% respectively.
