By Joel Katz, Managing Director, CLIA Australasia
WITH about 70 magnificent ships sailing in our waters this summer, it’s clear the 2023-24 season will be remembered as one of the most successful we’ve ever had in Australasia.
By the end of next month, these ships will have spent more than 3,000 port days in Australasia – a major increase on 2019-20 – bringing billions of dollars in economic impact to communities around our coast.
With such a spectacular summer cruise season in full swing, CLIA’s 21st Annual Cruise Industry Awards on 09 March provided the perfect opportunity to celebrate the strength of CLIA’s travel agency community.
The awards were not only a celebration of our industry’s top achievers, but also a tribute to travel agents throughout our region and the role they have played in driving cruising’s new prosperity.
It was a spectacular night, and the energy in the room was a sign of how far we’ve come as an industry and how passionate our membership is about cruising.
Each of the winners has been a stand-out achiever, showing ingenuity, persistence, creativity and passion. Each has approached their success in a unique and personal way, proving again that travel advisors bring that essential human touch to their profession.
Though all different, many of this year’s winners shared some key qualities – a love for the industry, a focus on knowledge, and a generosity among colleagues. In the case of our Cruise Champion categories, this extended to the interests of the wider cruise community and the role we all play as ambassadors for cruising.
I’m incredibly proud of CLIA’s travel agent membership in Australasia, and I genuinely believe we excel beyond our peers overseas. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists at this year’s awards. You typify the #WeAreCruise spirit that has made this one of the most successful cruise regions in the world.
