CLIA Australasia holds biggest Southern Hemisphere cruise convention

The sold-out event attracted a record number of 850 CLIA travel agents and cruise industry representatives, with 37 cruise lines exhibiting.

‘This is a sign of the optimism around cruising just now and it is a reflection  of a greatly expanded CLIA membership which is now at record levels in Australia and New Zealand,’ MD Joel Katz said.

River Cruise Showcase

On the afternoon before the convention, an inaugural River Cruise Showcase was held, providing a special focus on the diverse range of holidays available on inland waterways. This was followed by a harbourside welcome cocktail party.

‘Tonight we celebrate,’ Katz told delegates.

‘We celebrate the strength of our CLIA community,’ he said. ‘We celebrate how far we have come in recent years and we celebrate the opportunity to unite with friends and colleagues who share our love of cruising.’

ICC venue

Cruise360 was held for the first time at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour where 28 industry experts, including six international leaders, took to the stage.

Silversea’s SVP Expeditions, Destinations & Itinerary Management Conrad Combrink spoke on ‘Leveraging the Experiential Travel Trend’ and Port of Seattle Tourism Development Manager Chantelle Lusenbrink was a member of the panel that discussed ‘Harnessing the Potential of Immersive Pre- and Post-Cruise Experiences.’

Tauck’s Global VP of Sales and Service Steve Spivak addressed ‘Unlocking the Luxury Market: Strategies for Upselling and Maximising Opportunities’ and Celestyal’s Chief Commercial Officer Lee Haslett was a panellist on ‘Seizing the Potential: New-to-Cruise Trends and Insights,’ presented by Adam Coulter, Cruise Critic executive director.

Aurora Expeditions Head of Global Sales David Tanguay was on the panel that discussed the theme of Cruise360 2024 — ‘Embrace the Future.’

Return to Brisbane

Cruise360 2025 will return to Brisbane for the second time in three years and will be a two-day event.

It will be held at the Royal International Convention Centre Brisbane August 27-28.