We’re full steam ahead this cruise ship season

HOBART’S cruise ship season has hit full swing as thousands of tourists flocked to the city yesterday, marking one of the busiest days on the cruise ship calendar.

But a University of Tasmania tourism academic says the true worth to the economy of the cruise ship visits is unknown.

About 6000 passengers disembarked from the Majestic Princess and Celebrity Solstice yesterday morning.

One hundred and thirty cruise ships will visit Tasmania this season, including six docking in Hobart this week.

TasPorts executive general manager corporate affairs Kate Dean said two cruise vessels would berth in

Hobart on the same day on 14 occasions this summer.

“This cruise season is the largest on record for vessel visits,” she said.

Combined passenger numbers of about 3900 were on-board the Pacific Explorer and Nordam — the two ships in Hobart on Tuesday.

Figures in the latest annual Economic Impact Assessment commissioned by

Cruise Lines International Association, show the Australian cruise industry experienced an 11 per cent increase in its value to the national economy, contributing $5.2 billion during 2018-19.

Last year the cruise ship industry injected $30.5 million into Tasmania’s economy.

The State Government’s Sustainable Cruise Ships blueprint aims to see Tasmania earn an extra $20 million per year by 2022 by encouraging smaller, expedition vessels to visit regional ports.

UTAS Tourism academic Anne Hardy, who is in Sydney tracing cruise passenger spending, said more research was needed to determine how beneficial cruise ships were to Tasmania and its economy.

“What we do know is that cruise ship passengers spend their money differently to other tourists,” she said.

“I think we need to understand more about the economic and environmental impact of cruise ships.

“We do know they contribute to the economy but we don’t know exactly how much that is, despite some studies that have we’ve seen.”