Tourism Minister Louise Upston has acknowledged the economic contribution cruising makes and says the government is looking to working with the cruise industry to ‘jointly explore opportunities and address challenges’.
In the wake of reduced port calls for the next Kiwi cruise season, and increased regulatory costs, cruise leaders and industry stakeholders today met with Upston to discuss the direction of our cruise industry—with a focus on ‘close collaboration to achieve future prosperity’. CLIA, the New Zealand Cruise Association (NZCA) and cruise line representatives were at the meeting, plus more than 30 tourism leaders and stakeholders. CLIA md Australasia Joel Katz says the meeting was ‘an opportunity to highlight the cruise community’s commitment to New Zealand and address some of the challenges in the region’. “New Zealand is a jewel among cruise destinations and consistently rates highly among international New Zealand’s United Cruise Focus cruise passengers, which presents huge opportunities for New Zealand communities,” he says
. . . Warning
NZCA ceo Jacqui Lloyd says cruise tourism brought hundreds of thousands of international visitors each year, but warned numbers were declining here in contrast to strong growth in the rest of the world. “Creating a successful cruise economy means achieving the right regulatory settings and encouraging close collaboration, so we can thrive in a well-managed way,” she says, adding that NZCA welcomes the change to discuss how New Zealand can attract more ships and reverse the decline.
. . . Upston Responds
The tourism minister is said to have gained ‘valuable insights’ from the meeting. “Our government has a clear priority to unleash economic growth. Tourism and hospitality, including the cruise industry, will be key contributors as we get back to 2019 visitor numbers. We know cruises bring big economic benefits with passengers spending money in our businesses and communities,” she says. “I look forward to further work with the cruise industry and across government agencies, as we jointly explore opportunities and address challenges.” NZCA reports a 20% drop in cruise visitors due to reduced ship visits.
