Cruise industry gives Canterbury tick of approval

March 19, 2012

Cruise industry gives Canterbury tick of approval

The American-based cruise industry is eying with interest developments in post-quake Christchurch and remains committed to including Canterbury on its itineraries.

That is the message Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism Business Development Manager Caroline Blanchfield has come home with after a whistle-stop tour of the United States where she met with key representatives from the six major cruise lines.

Ms Blanchfield was part of a trade delegation organised by Tourism New Zealand and Cruise New Zealand in order to strengthen New Zealand ties with the lucrative cruise industry, which is headquartered in the US.

“The feedback I got from all the cruise lines is that they’re very keen on Canterbury as a destination and see it as still delivering an interesting visitor experience for cruise ship passengers. They were very positive about the coming season and hold high hopes for the long-term future of the region,’’ Ms Blanchfield says.

It is likely to be another year before the Port of Lyttelton can resume hosting cruise ship visits but with Akaroa, Kaikoura and Timaru offering alternative ports of call Canterbury could host 90 cruise ship visits over the coming season with an estimated 207,000 passengers.

Cruise passengers are highly satisfied with Akaroa and Lyttelton as ports of call. Both rated 8.72 out of a possible 10 last season and indications are that these ratings will remain the same or rise slightly for 2011/12 season.

“Cruising is definitely a growth industry and it is vital for us that we tap into this market and promote Christchurch and Canterbury as a viable visitor destination,’’ Ms Blanchfield says.

“Cruise ship passengers are perfectly poised to help us in our recovery as they are day visitors who come in, visit our tourist attractions, and shop and spend money in our stores and restaurants, and then move on. They don’t require a hotel bed but they provide much needed business for our tourism operators and retailers.

“We see it as being very important that we maintain strong relationships with the cruise lines and keep in mind their requirements as we progress with the rebuild because all the signs point to continued growth in this segment of the visitor market.’’

The number of cruise ships journeying through the Pacific to Australia and New Zealand is growing, as is the size of the vessels and their passenger capacity. In the coming 2012/13 season Carnival Cruises will introduce the Carnival Spirit, which has a passenger capacity of 2650, to Australia and New Zealand for the first time, while the Celebrity Solstice, another new vessel, will bring 2850 passengers.

Craig Harris, Managing Director ISS McKay and President of Cruise NZ says having a representative from Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism as part of the delegation was extremely valuable as the cruise lines needed accurate information about the situation on the ground in Christchurch.

“They were very pleased to hear about the progress the city is making and want to keep Christchurch and Canterbury on their itineraries because they appreciate how much the region has to offer their passengers,’’ Mr Harris says.

“What we now have to do is make sure that we continue to provide them with up-to-date information on what’s happening in Christchurch & Canterbury and keep them abreast of what we’ve doing to ensure their needs are being met as we move forward.’’

Ms Blanchfield says Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism is working with the cruise lines, shipping agents and Tourism New Zealand to ensure that cruise ships have accurate Christchurch information for port lecturers.

“Providing accurate information on the city prior to the cruise passengers arrival is essential so they know that the city is up and running, and there is still plenty for passengers to see and do in and around the city and region.’’

ENDS

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