Tourico Holidays has revealed that its cruise bookings soared to record levels in 2016.

The wholesaler reported a 37% jump in cruise bookings last year, compared to 2015, with an 8% increase in average transaction size.

The growth was primarily driven by outbound bookings from the US, which surged 49% year-on-year, while bookings from Canada increased 12% and the UK climbed 10%. And looking forward, Tourico said it expects Asia to be the major growth market in future.

“We’re predicting more cruisers will hit the seas in 2017 than any previous year on the books,” said Lori Sheller, Tourico’s vice president of cruise development. “The upward trend in cruising will also be aided by an influx of bookings from China – as cruise companies shift their focus to the Asian market.”

The company has already started the year well; January 2017 was a record month for Tourico with cruise bookings increasing by 38% compared to January 2016.

The wholesaler also recently announced a new partnership with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, taking its total cruise inventory to more than 10,000 departures with 16 cruise lines.