Australia appears to be poised for a record-setting season, with 63 international cruise vessels scheduled to call between October and April, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors and generating billions in economic returns for coastal communities.
This projection underscores the nation's standing as the world’s fourth-largest cruise market, propelled by a rich palette of natural landmarks, pristine coastlines, dynamic urban centers, and access to remote adventure locales.
At CLIA Australasia’s annual conference in Brisbane, Managing Director Joel Katz reported a significant upswing in local participation: more than 1.3 million Australians cruised last year, reflecting nearly a 6% rise and marking one of the region’s strongest performances on record.
This season coincides with the 10th anniversary of Cruise360 Australasia, now the largest cruise industry gathering in the region. More than 850 delegates convened to explore evolving trends such as luxury and expedition cruising, river and culinary voyages, and the rise of Generation Z as the next major cruise market.
The demographic makeup of today’s cruiser continues to shift younger. Globally, the average age now stands at 46.5 years, and over a third of passengers are under 40. A surge in first-time cruisers—approximately 31% over the past two years compared to 24% in 2019—underscores this shift.
Gen X and Millennials now represent the most enthusiastic segments, driving demand for both short themed getaways and luxury expedition experiences.