Cruising boom for Asia
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The proliferation of cruise ships being deployed in Asia last year saw a 159% increase in the number of Australians cruising in the region.
Figures released by the International Council of Australasia yesterday showed that almost 33,000 Australian passengers cruised Asian waters – a massive leap from the 2005 figure of just under 13,000.
Asia was the fastest growing market for Australian cruisers, with the Asian growth rate vastly outstripping that for other regions including the South Pacific, Europe and North America.
And it was the second most popular cruise destination for Australians after the long-established South Pacific market,with Asia attracting 15% of the total number of cruise passengers.
The strong growth in the number of cruise ships in Asia is set to continue with the re-activation of the ASEAN Cruise Working Group, announced at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Singapore in early Feb.
At the time, ASEAN tourism ministers said the move would strengthen collaboration among member countries “so as to improve the sea connectivity and enhance cruise tourism in ASEAN”.
Last year Asian ports saw maiden calls from many major international cruise liners, and there were also a host of new itineraries launched by established regional players such as Star Cruises.
And this year new deployments include Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas which still offer a series of 4-12 night itineraries departing from Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore.
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