| ACA update 16 Nov 17: Changing passengers

WITH Jill Abel, CEO Australian Cruise
Association – Since I was appointed CEO of the
Association some fourteen years
ago, it has been exciting to see the
changes that have taken place in
the cruise industry.
Naturally the ships have changed
in their size and their offerings
and the port infrastructure around
the country is also changing
dramatically to meet their needs.
But one of the biggest changes has
been in the cruise pax themselves.
Once a group of travellers mostly
focused on shipboard life, we
have now seen cruise passengers
travelling more for the destinations
they will visit and the experiences
they will enjoy onshore.
This has been reinforced by the
announcement this week by Viking
Cruises who will debut in Australia
early in 2018. They are offering
passengers a range of cruise
extensions to their 15-day Australia/
NZ itineraries including options to
visit Port Douglas and the Great
Barrier Reef; Melbourne, Alice
Springs and Uluru or Auckland and
Tongariro National Park.
Initiatives such as these mean that
cruise lines are giving travellers the
opportunity to not only explore the
cities & near surrounds in which they
disembark but are also encouraging
them to travel further afield to
experience iconic destinations.
Most importantly it also means that
cruising is just one segment of their
overall holiday itinerary, which is
great news for our tourism economy.
ACA applauds moves like this by
the cruise lines and we look forward
to seeing more extensive pre- and
post-cruise touring options into the
future.