Region was the third largest source market after North America and Europe in 2018
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Almost 4.3 million Asians took an ocean cruise in 2018 – a record high and a 4.6% year-on-year rise, according to a new report from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
CLIA’s statistics showed double-digit growth in the number of passengers originating from Singapore, India, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. However, there was a 1.6% decline in the number of cruise guests from mainland China. Despite this slight decrease, mainland China was still the dominant source market in the region, accounting for almost 56% of Asian passengers.
In addition, the report found that Asia held a 14.8% share of the total global ocean passenger volume (28.5 million people) last year, making it the third largest source market after North America and Europe.
“In the next few years, cruising in Asia is expected to continue growing in popularity with the arrival of new ships in 2019-2020 including from Costa Cruises, Genting Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International and MSC Cruises,” said Joel Katz, managing director for CLIA Australasia and Asia. “We also see several Asian destinations building new infrastructure to support cruise development. Consumer interest in cruise has also been rising as Asian travellers discover the ease, relaxation and value of a cruise vacation.”