2024 goes out on a high for Australian Cruise Association2024 goes out on a high for Australian Cruise Association

The Australian Cruise Association, in partnership with the Port Authority of New South Wales and the Sydney Opera House, hosted an end of year reception Thursday.

CEO Jill Abel told Seatrade Cruise News ACA now has 102 members, one reason to celebrate the close of 2024.

‘We are in our strongest position to date,’ Abel said.

Economic impact

In welcoming guests, ACA Chairman Capt. Philip Holliday said the economic impact report commissioned by ACA and Cruise Lines International Association Australasia was another reason to celebrate.

It showed cruise tourism injected A$8.43b into Australia’s economy during the 2023-24 financial year.

Holliday also said there was a record attendance at the ACA annual conference in Adelaide this year.

Chef Mark Olive

The function was held on the patio of Mark Olive’s waterfront restaurant on the western broadwalk of the Sydney Opera House.

Olive, an Australian Aboriginal celebrity chef, affectionally known as the Black Olive, said the name of his restaurant, Midden, means ‘shell heaps’ and is on the site where indigenous people discarded oyster shells a long time ago.

Queen Elizabeth pop-up

Olive returned to Sydney Wednesday from a seven-night round voyage to Tasmania aboard Queen Elizabeth.

He had a pop-up restaurant on board serving bush tucker, like braised wallaby shanks and held cooking demonstrations in the Royal Court Theatre using native Australian ingredients.

Related:Cruise generates record A$8.43b for Australia’s economy