The first phase of its 2026 Cruise Month campaign has been launched, shining a spotlight on ocean holidays as the summer cruising season approaches.
This week’s campaign theme will highlight the growing range of opportunities available through ocean cruising, appearing across social media channels, travel pages and the initiatives of Australasian travel agents.
Joel Katz, Cruise Lines International Association Managing Director in Australasia, said demand for ocean cruising was at record levels globally, fuelled by significant investment and continued innovation from the world’s major cruise lines.
“There are now 89 new cruise ships on order from shipyards around the world, each set to bring new experiences, innovations and excitement when they enter service over the coming years,” Mr Katz said.
“Together, these ships represent an investment of almost $US100 billion, reflecting the enormous enthusiasm for cruising among travellers around the world.”
This year’s Cruise Month campaign follows four weekly themes – Ocean Cruising (October 4-10), River Cruising (October 11-17), Expedition Cruising (October 18-24) and Luxury Cruising (October 25-31).
Under the banner #LoveCruise, activities will showcase the huge diversity of cruise lines and experiences available in each category and highlight the advantages of booking a cruise through a CLIA-certified travel agent.
CLIA will mount an extensive social media campaign for this year’s Cruise Month, aimed at new-to-cruise travellers as well as established cruising fans.
Through a rolling program of imagery and videos on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, the campaign will invite travellers to explore cruise options through their local CLIA-certified travel agent.
CLIA travel agent members have been equipped with a toolkit that includes the latest promotions and opportunities available from cruise lines.
They will also be able to join an expanded program of training webinars to ensure they have the latest insight as they plan their clients’ travel.
Australian and New Zealand travellers can visit www.cruising.org.au and use the Find a Cruise Specialist search function to connect with a CLIA cruise specialist travel agent in their local area.
