Cruise Ship Activity In Australia Drives Industry’s Economic Value To New Highs.

The value of cruising in Australia is continuing to surge, with a new report showing that swelling cruise passenger numbers and an increase in homeported ships helped to drive the industry’s economic contribution to a record $3.6 billion in 2014-15.

Commissioned by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia, the independent report reveals that the economic value of cruising has risen an impressive 11.6 per cent since 2013, when CLIA’s first economic report recorded an industry contribution of $3.2 billion.

According to the “Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Australian Economy in 2014-15” report, the number of calls by homeported ships increased by 8.3 per cent in the 2014-15 financial year, compared to the previous year, helping to boost cruise line expenditure by 11 per cent. 

Also fuelling growth was a 10.3 per cent rise in passenger capacity on homeported ships and an 8.8 per cent increase in capacity on visiting ships, reflecting the increasing size of cruise ships in local waters.

However, in its executive summary of the report CLIA notes that capacity constraints remain a barrier to future growth, particularly in Sydney.

During 2014-15, passenger and crew visit days grew by 8.8 per cent across the country. However NSW experienced only 0.4 per cent growth compared to almost 56 per cent in Western Australia, 27.4 per cent in Victoria and 16.4 per cent in Queensland.   NSW’s share of the overall economic contribution slipped from 73 per cent in 2013 to 68 per cent in 2014-15.

Capacity constraints have also limited the number of visiting international ships, prompting a 10 per cent decline in international passenger visit days in 2014-15, representing a lost opportunity to the Australian economy of close to $7 million according to the summary.

Prepared for CLIA by Business Research and Economic Advisers (BREA),  the report found overall passenger expenditure grew by 12.5 per cent to $814 million in  2014-15, driven by the increase in passenger days as well as a 3.4 per cent rise in average passenger spend per day to $384.  

International passengers spent an average of $700 a day in a home port compared to $181 in a transit port, while domestic passengers spent an average $483 a day in a home port and $151 in a transit port.

Releasing the report today, CLIA Australasia Managing Director Neil Linwood said it provided a valuable insight into the industry’s growth and future.

“This report not only captures the impressive growth of the cruise industry, it also records the shifting structure of the industry as capacity constraints start to bite,” Mr Linwood said.

“We believe it provides further proof of the value of our industry and demonstrates the benefits which can flow to communities that embrace cruising.”

Key findings of the 2014-15 report include:

* Cruising generated $3.6 billion in economic value in the 2014-15 financial year – up 11.6 per cent on the 2013 figure of $3.2 billion

* Cruise line expenditure rose 11 per cent to $1.069 billion in 2014-15. This included a 20 per cent rise in travel agent commissions to $145 million

* Passenger expenditure rose 12.5 per cent to $814 million

* Cruising accounted for 15,217 jobs in 2014-15

* Passenger/crew visits days rose 8.8 per cent (up 11.5 per cent for passengers visiting Australian ports on homeported ships and 4.1 per cent for passengers visiting on transiting ships) 

* Overall cruise ship visit days increase only 1.7 per cent but average ship capacity rose 10.3 per cent for homeported ships and 8.8 per cent for transit ships

* Homeported ship calls rose 8.3 per cent while transit port calls fell 4.3 per cent

* NSW remained the dominant state accounting for 68 per cent of the overall economic contribution

* Across Australia, homeported passengers spent an average of just over $505 per visit day while transit passengers spent an average of $160 per visit day.

State Breakdown for 2014-15

NSW

* NSW had the highest number of cruise visit days (296) accounting for 35 per cent of cruise visit days nationally

* NSW passenger visit days totaled 1.09 million - 51 per cent of passenger visit days in Australia 

* Cruise visit days declined by 13 from 2013 due to fewer ships with overnight stays in Sydney.

* Direct cruise tourism expenditure in NSW equalled $1.29 billion – 68 per cent of the total national expenditure

* NSW expenditure included $748 million by cruise lines, $530 million by passengers and $14.6 million by crew 

* International homeport passengers in Sydney spent $740 a day while domestic home port passengers spent $480 a day 

* International transit passengers in Sydney spent $220 a day while domestic transit passengers spent $150 a day

* On average, international passengers spent 2.4 nights in Sydney prior to their cruise while domestic passengers spent an average of 1.4 nights

Queensland

* Queensland had 253 cruise visit days (30 per cent of the national total) and 486,096 passenger visit days (23 per cent of national numbers)

* Brisbane accounted for 16 per cent of homeport passenger days across Australia in 2014-15.

* Cairns and Airlie Beach feature as transit ports and had very similar totals for passenger and crew visit days. Combined, the two ports had 122,511 passenger visit days and 23,902 crew visit days. These two destinations accounted for 46 per cent of the transit passenger visit days throughout Queensland

* Domestic homeported passengers in Brisbane spent an average of $448 per day while international passengers spent $518 

* Domestic transit passengers spent $235 while international passengers spent $208  

* In Cairns, domestic transit passengers spent an average of $186 a day in Cairns while international transit passengers spent $345 a day – once again the highest daily spend by international transit passengers nationally.

Victoria 

* Victorian ports experienced an increase of 13 cruise ship visit days from 77 in 2013 to 90 in 2014. 

* Total passenger visit days rose by 27 per cent to 186,719 days (about 8.5 per cent of the national total)

* Transit passengers accounted for 60 per cent of total passenger visit days across all Victoria ports and rose 6 per cent on 2013 figures

* Melbourne is the third largest of the cruise home ports in Australia, and is predominantly a transit port with a total of 177,258 passenger visit days, an increase of 21 per cent from 2013.

* Melbourne experienced relatively significant growth in its homeport activity with an 80 per cent increase in homeported passengers. This growth is as a result of Melbourne becoming a homeport alternative to capacity-constrained Sydney during the peak cruise season.

* Domestic homeported passengers in Melbourne spent $541 per day while international passengers spent $615. Meanwhile domestic transit passengers spent $161 while international passengers spent $165

Western Australia

* The ports of Western Australia generated 101 cruise visit days, an increase of 25 from 2013,  and 161,695 passenger visit days, an increase of 56 per cent over 2013

* As a result, Western Australia ports accounted for 12 per cent of total cruise visit days and 7.6 per cent of total passenger visit days throughout Australia

* Fremantle’s homeport activity increased significantly as cruise lines continue to look for new homeports and destinations. Homeport passenger numbers grew by almost 300 per cent from 2013.

* The increase in homeport activity drove a 100 per cent increase in cruise line expenditure together with significant increases in passenger and crew expenditure

* Domestic homeported passengers in Fremantle spent an average of $658 per day and homeported international guests spent $564 a day

* Domestic transit passengers spent $113 while international passengers spent $150  

Tasmania

* With Tasmanian ports featuring solely as transit ports, the State’s 49 cruise visit days accounted for 5.8 per cent of the nation’s cruise days

* Meanwhile its 93,000 passenger visit days represented 5.5 per cent of the national total

* Hobart dominated cruise calls to Tasmania, accounting for 75 per cent of cruise visit days with 37 days

* Domestic passengers visiting Hobart spent $116 per day while international passengers averaged $167 a day

South Australia

* South Australia had 31 cruise visit days and 59,556 total passenger days. 

* Domestic passengers spent an average of $141 per day while international passengers averaged $158 a day

Northern Territory

* The NT had 29 cruise visit days and 47,339 total passenger days 

* International passengers spent an average of $265 during their transit visits to Darwin while domestic passengers spent an average of $131. 

For a full report from CLIA click on this link: CLIA-EIS-Report-2014-15-Summary.pdf

Informaion supplied by : Cruise Lines International Association Of Australasia. [ CLIA ].

Cruise The Seas Travel And Media, Cruising Austrlia The HOME Of Australian Cruising!