The Cruise Lines International Association has reached a record membership of almost 7,000 travel advisors across Australia and New Zealand, announced at this week’s Cruise360 Australasia conference in Sydney.
Record delegate turnout at Cruise360
The conference drew a record 880 delegates to the International Convention Centre Sydney for its expanded event this year. CLIA chairman in Australasia and Carnival senior vice president and country manager Peter Little said the milestone reflected the ongoing relevance of professional travel advisors.
“Today we are a community of almost 7000 CLIA travel advisors across Australia and New Zealand – that’s a record high, and it’s a testament to the continuing relevance of professional, knowledgeable travel advisors,” Little said.
“You remain the most important part of our industry’s distribution chain, and the level of investment that cruise lines place in CLIA events is a direct reflection of that importance.”
Little said other CLIA events, including CLIA LIVE, had also recorded record attendance this year, alongside a record number of nominations for the annual CLIA awards. He said CLIA training programs continued to show strong completion rates, with initiatives such as the CLIA Masters Program consistently fully subscribed.
Expanded membership strengthens industry advocacy
Little said the growth in membership gave added weight to the industry’s advocacy efforts.
“That’s a voice that should be taken seriously, and so we’ve stepped up our activity in this region to make sure it’s heard,” he said.
“At a time when cruise passenger numbers are breaking records at the global level – and when the market in this region is showing fantastic levels of demand – we deserve to share in that success in ways that reflect the hard work and dedication we put in.”
