By
Rebecca Gibson |
New Zealand’s cruise passenger numbers grew by 23% to reach a record high of 59,316 in 2013, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia.
CLIA’s 2013 Cruise Industry Source Market Report indicated that while New Zealand is still a small source market, its growth rate surpassed all major cruise passenger markets in 2013. This includes, Australia, which topped the cruise market with a 20% growth rate in June.
The record result, the second largest hike since the statistics were first compiled in 2006, has also driven an increase in the market penetration rate. Last year, around 1.3% of the country’s population took a cruise – a 0.2% rise from 2012 – beating France and Spain, which achieved 0.8% and 1% penetration rates, respectively. Australia achieved the highest penetration rate (3.6%) and North America’s market sits at 3.3%.
“New Zealand is a young cruise market and this impressive growth shows that cruising is very much on the horizon for a lot of Kiwi travellers,” said Brett Jardine, general manager of CLIA Australasia. “We’ve now seen the number of New Zealand cruisers double over the past seven years with the market experiencing an enviable annual average increase of 14%. With more ships being deployed in the region in the coming years, we expect to see continued growth out of New Zealand.”
Other key findings of the report revealed that itineraries to local destinations remained popular, while more than 31% of New Zealanders cruised to the South Pacific and a record 7,855 passengers sailed to Australia.
Europe continued to dominate long-haul destinations, accounting for 19% of the total market, with 15% of New Zealanders visiting the Mediterranean and 4% sailing to Northern Europe.
In total, New Zealanders spent an average of 11.1 days on a cruise and an estimated 656,000 days at sea, an increase of 26% from 2012. Similarly, river cruise numbers rose 19% to surpass the 4,166 for the first time.
In line with the population spread, the North Island remains the leading source of cruise passengers, making up 79% of the market.