Boost for Canterbury as cruise ship numbers increase

Direct expenditure in Canterbury from cruise ship visits is expected to grow to $31 million next season, creating an extra 189 jobs in the region, new figures show.

Cruising is becoming an increasingly popular way for people to travel and this season 72 cruise ships, carrying more than 135,000 passengers and crew, are scheduled to dock at Canterbury’s ports.

The number of cruise ships visiting this season is up on the 2009-10 season when cruise vessels spent 64 days in port, bringing with them 123,000 visitors to our region.

Next cruise season the number of days cruise ships spend in Canterbury ports is expected to jump further, to 91, while visitor numbers are expected to increase to over 209,000 – a 70% increase.

As a result, direct expenditure in Canterbury from cruise ship visits is expected to grow from $19.6m last season to $31.6m next season – a 60% increase.

“These figures clearly demonstrate how valuable this segment of the market is to Canterbury’s tourism industry and will give us added impetus to ensure we do everything possible to cater to cruise ship visitors.

“They contribute significantly to our economy and it is in all our interests to ensure we continue to attract cruise ships to our ports and that we make sure everyone who comes ashore has the time of their life and leaves eager to come back,” says Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism acting chief executive Ian Hay.

“More cruise ship passengers equates to more jobs in retail, tourism, hospitality, and transport, as well as more jobs in the ship servicing industries. The figures from Cruise New Zealand suggest that by next season cruise ship visits to our regional ports will directly contribute to the employment of nearly 500 people.”

Nationally the direct expenditure from the cruise ship industry is expected to grow to $318.6m next season and generate employment for about 5800.

“New Zealand is clearly a popular destination for cruise ship companies and one of our goals is to convince more of the world’s cruise ship companies to include Canterbury ports on their itineraries,” Mr Hay says.

“We believe there is potential to grow this market even further and we have a dedicated team working with cruise companies and Cruise New Zealand to secure more cruise ship visits for Canterbury so we can maximise the potential from this growing segment of the tourism market.”

- Ends -

© Scoop Media