Cruise, travel’s hottest market, boom without the bubble.
Remember the early days of the Internet Mark II – after the tech wreck – when it was growing faster than a three-year-old and everyone was really, really excited before it became routine?.
Well, that’s what the Australian cruise industry feels like right now. Business is booming and there is no end in sight. People are happy and optimistic that they’re in the right place at the right time.
“Every year you think and wonder when the peak is going to come – but it never does,” said Craig Chisholm of Ozcruising.com.au.
January was huge for the Australian industry, which has more ships based here than ever before.
The biggest operator, Carnival Cruise Lines, had its biggest month ever, taking reservations for 565,000+passengers.
That’s 17% more than the previous year, fabulous growth.
Yet Australia’s overall industry has been growing even faster – 130% since 2009, according to Cruise Lines International data.
Most Australians travel on cruises out of Sydney or Brisbane although an increasing number are heading overseas.
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