| CLIA Update 20 Sep 18

WITH Joel Katz, MD, CLIA Australasia – Sailing into Summer:
As the peak cruise season kicks
off, it is shaping up to be
another incredibly busy year
for our industry.
Australians can look forward to a
parade of brand-new ships as well as
some favourites this summer.
With a total of four ships making
their maiden visit down under,
there’s no doubt that Australia has
the attention of the world’s leading
cruise lines.
What’s particularly exciting is the
range of ships headed our way.
Australian holidaymakers will be
able to cruise from their doorstep
on all manner of ships while also
enjoying some never-before-seen
onboard features, which we expect
will entice a whole new generation
of cruisers onboard.
In addition to the international
visitors, our local homeported ships
continue to offer sailings around the
country, delivering the economic
benefits that cruise tourism brings.
With a plethora of ships
homeporting and transiting through
a record number of Australian ports
this summer, cruising provides farreaching
economic benefits around
the whole coastline.
Ships require a massive ‘shopping
list’ of local food, beverage and
other supplies, and the cruise
passenger dollar flows right
across the spectrum from hotels,
restaurants and cafes to tourist
attractions and transport.
Wherever the ships go, economic
opportunity follows.