In her inaugural visit to Sydney, CLIA global President & CEO Cindy D’Aoust made waves kicking off today’s third annual Cruise360 Australasia conference.
D’Aoust was largely positive about the global state of the cruise industry, but warned port infrastructure, or the lack thereof, would be the main hindrance to future growth globally and specifically, down under.
“Growth will continue, we see no reason that will stop, with the exception of infrastructure and what it takes to make a great experience,” D’Aoust told the 200 delegates this morning, adding that cruising provides the highest guest satisfaction rating across the industry.
According to CLIA, between 2004 and 2015, global cruise travel outpaced land based leisure travel by 20%. Demand for cruising has increased 68% in the past 10 years and globalisation will drive industry growth. Globally, cruising remains an important sector in tourism, providing an economic impact of US$120 billion annually.
Last year, cruise lines welcomed 23 million global cruise passengers, with North America remaining the largest at 11 million, and comparatively, Australia was “out performing” by contributing 1 million passengers while taking into consideration population and distance. This figure has grown from 223,000 in 2006.
Despite D’Aoust saying Australia was very much a “key market” to the global cruise industry, all eyes are on China as cruising’s sleeping giant, until now. Tipped to become the next golden child for the cruise industry, it already has the fastest growth rate in the world. D’Aoust confirmed new market growth will largely be derived from Asia, already set to outpace North America over the next decade.
However, D’Aoust told CLIA Australasian agent member delegates not to be waned by Asia’s burgeoning growth, as trends show Asian travellers’ increasing preference to take mid-length cruises to Australia.
“Don’t be concerned about Asia, be excited about Asia. Get them over here, work on the infrastructure,” D’Aoust said.
Global targets are also on the rise, with 24 million expected to take a cruise this year, which D’Aoust attributes to the cruise industry’s continual investments into new ship designs, new itineraries and customised flexibility.
According to the association, CLIA Australasia accredited agents’ revenue was on average 15% greater than non-CLIA trained agents.
