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Travel agents and the wider cruise community will be key to recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Managing Director Australasia Joel Katz who has rallied industry supporters to make their presence known.

Mr Katz said the cruise industry faced a lack of understanding about its size and economic significance, even after decades of strong growth in Australia. The number of Australians taking a cruise reached a record 1.35 million in 2018, while the cruise industry contributed more than $5 billion to the Australian economy last financial year.

CLIA has written to travel agent members in Australia seeking their support to inform others of cruising’s significance.

“We’d like your help in speaking out about how deeply rooted cruising is in our part of the world, and how vital it is to our tourism industry and the wider economy,” Mr Katz wrote. “Although we are in a challenging news environment, our wider CLIA community is well placed to tell a more positive story.”

Mr Katz said cruise lines had spent decades investing in Australia, supporting jobs and creating business opportunities throughout a wide variety of industries.

“Cruising helps sustain jobs across a range of sectors – travel agencies, tour operators, guides, transport workers, hoteliers, maritime workers, technical suppliers and the many local food and wine providers who stock our ships,” he said.

CLIA has encouraged travel agents to write to their state and federal MPs, create social media posts, reach out to clients and colleagues and create videos to share online, utilising the hashtag #WeAreCruise.

“We need to show how extensive our community is. We can’t be demonised, we need recognition for what we’ve achieved. We’re an industry that has put people first, and we continue to work in support of our people – guests, crew and communities.”

Mr Katz said CLIA would soon announce more on the industry’s plans for recovery and the messages being created to help support the cruise community through the challenges ahead.

“We’re a resilient industry with an enormous number of supporters, and by uniting our community we can be confident we’ll overcome these challenges in the long term,” he said.