| CLIA calls for national cruise action plan

A RECORD 1.45 million Aussies enjoyed a cruise last year, but 17% more sailed outside the ANZ and South Pacific region compared to 2024, as Australia struggles to become a competitive cruising destination, according to new figures from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

The organisation’s Annual Source Market Report for 2025 also found that Australians who chose long-haul destinations over sailing locally increased from 18.5% in 2024 to 19.7% in 2025.

“The number of Australians cruising is at record levels, and with around 80 new ships coming online worldwide over the next decade, this passion can only rise,” CLIA Executive Director in Australasia Joel Katz said.

“However, Australia is struggling to attract ships to our own waters because of regulatory uncertainties and rising costs, so we are becoming uncompetitive as a destination and losing tourism to other countries.”

“Cruising contributes $7.32 billion a year to the national economy and supports more than 22,000 Australian jobs, so it’s vital that we bring together federal, state and territory governments under a national action plan – so we can create greater regulatory certainty, restore Australia’s competitiveness, and attract more cruise tourism,” the organisation’s chief explained.

Despite the challenges, CLIA’s newly released report also found that 8% more Aussies sailed in the ANZ region last year compared to 2024.

Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific also remained the most popular cruising destination for Australians, where 80.3% sailed last year.

This was followed by the Mediterranean (6.3%), Asia (4.5%), Alaska (2.5%), the Caribbean (1.7), Northern Europe (1.3%), Hawaii and the US West Coast (0.7%), and South America/Panama (0.4%).

Other Australian cruise passengers enjoyed expedition cruises (0.8%), and trans-atlantic and world cruises (0.5%).

CLIA’s Annual Source Market Report found that Australia was again the world’s fourth largest cruise market in 2025, with 1.45 million passengers, following on from the US (20.56 million), Germany (2.83 million) and the United Kingdom (2.47 million).

Meanwhile, the continued trend of cruise passengers getting younger was also apparent in the findings, with the average age of Australian cruisers falling from 48.4 to 47.3, and more than a third (34.2%) aged under 40. JHM