Cairns ready for cruise

MEMBER of the Australian Parliament for Leichhardt Warren Entsch has said the country’s cruise industry will play a very important role in its tourism mix moving forward, as his constituency, Cairns and Far North Queensland, readies to welcome travellers back.

Speaking as part of a representative group of local businesses featured by Carnival Australia to illustrate the partnership between cruise tourism and the many attractions of Far North Queensland, Entsch reminded that his constituency was among the first impacted by the pandemic and will be one of the last to recover.

“Pre-COVID, our region attracted more than two million domestic and international visitors each year, and the sector was worth $3.5 billion annually... that has all but been reduced to nothing but a trickle” Entch said.

“However, what attracted visitors to Cairns and Far North Queensland in the first place certainly hasn’t been diminished by COVID-19.”

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning (pictured second from the left with the Woodward family, proprietor of local tour package company Capta Group) said the city can shine once again by catering to the rapid increase in overall passenger demand and international market size from Baby Boomers, who are seeking more varied and adventurous destinations.

“One of the key growth areas for our tourism industry preCOVID was the expansion of cruises coming into the Cairns Port,” he said.

“Visits by ships has been made even simpler following the successful completion last year of the state government’s dredging of the channel which now allows vessels up to 300 metres.”

Despite the tap for this vital cruise tourism opportunity having been switched off since Mar 2020, there is still no prospect of when it might be turned on again, which yesterday forced the cruise line to cancel Carnival Splendor sailings through to and including 7 Feb and Carnival Spirit sailings through to and including 20 Feb.