Country has now become third fastest growing passenger source market in the world
By
Rebecca Gibson |
New Zealand cruise passenger numbers surged 10.6% in 2014, positioning the nation as the third fastest growing cruise passenger market in the world, according to figures from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia.
CLIA’s 2014 New Zealand Cruise Industry Source Market Report indicated that the total number of New Zealand cruise passengers has grown by an average of 17.3% per year since 2009 to reach a record 65,609 in 2014.
Although the New Zealand cruise market is still small by international standards, the equivalent of 1.4% of the country’s population took a cruise last year – a rise of 0.1% from 2013 – giving the nation a greater market penetration rate than established cruise markets like Spain (1%) and France (0.9%).
“While New Zealand is still an emerging source market for cruise passengers with a relatively small population, it outperformed most markets around the world last year in terms of growth,” said Brett Jardine, general manager of CLIA Australasia. “These figures show us that more and more New Zealanders are recognising cruising as a great value and relaxing way to travel and are responding to the expanding range of cruises on offer.”
According to the report, the South Pacific remained the most popular destination for Kiwis, attracting more than 20,000 passengers, which equated to 31.4% of the market. Europe ranked as the second most popular destination, with around 12,000 Kiwis opting for an ocean cruise in the region, more than 18% of the total market.
An increase in the number of available New Zealand itineraries fuelled a 45% rise in the number of people choosing to cruise nearer to home, although there was a 41.% decrease in passengers sailing to Australia.
Meanwhile, the number of people sailing in the Caribbean, including the Bahamas and Panama Canal, grew 46.1%. Hawaii, Eastern Canada, Mexico and South America was also popular, with 44.1% more New Zealanders opting for itineraries in the region. Meanwhile, river cruising has also become more popular, growing 31.2% from 2013.
In total, Kiwis spent almost 680,000 days at sea in 2014 and more than half opted for a voyage lasting 8-14 days, while the average length of a cruise was 10.4 days.
New Zealand aims to increase passenger numbers by 7% to reach 100,000 passengers by 2020.