Industry hopes for cruising resurgence
THE federal government is under increasing pressure to revive cruise tourism – and while Far North industry leaders would welcome the economic boost, they say it must be done cautiously.
After all, the Cairns region has had just 65 Covid cases – a mere 3.7 per cent of the state total and business leaders are keen to keep the Far North safe.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia managing director Joel Katz said Australia was isolated as the only major cruise region in the world not making progress after the Canadian government said it would start up from November.
“Governments in Australia and New Zealand have made no progress towards establishing a framework for future cruise operations, despite the availability of comprehensive new health protocols at the international level,” he said.
In 2018-19, 97,174 passengers and nearly 16,000 crew visited Cairns with a total economic benefit of almost $102m, according to Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
At waterside eatery Wharf One cafe, owner Peter Crotty looks forward to seeing a cruise liner on the horizon.
“I can’t wait to see them. They love Magnums and iced coffees, for some reason, they go nuts on them,” he said.
“But it’s not just us, it’s the tour operators who pick up the passengers, and then there’s everyone who comes down to look at the ships.”
Cruise passengers traditionally head to places such as Kuranda to spend up big.
Angela Freeman, who operates Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures at Wangetti as well as Birdworld Kuranda and Kuranda Koala Gardens, is among those who are cautious.
“We would have to do it in an incredibly responsible way to ensure in doing so, we don’t subject our region to infection, whether through passengers or crew,” she said.
“I am fully supportive of getting the cruises back but it needs to be done properly – we need to be rock-solid safe.
“Cruise ships have always been helpful because they travel during what we call low season, typically the summer period, helping us to top up the latter part of year and post-Christmas period.
“It’s a very important aspect of the industry and has played a significant role for 100 years.”
The Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal was set for its busiest year ever in 2020 after the shipping channel was widened and deepened in a $127m project.
Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch has met stakeholders and called on the health minister to accelerate revival.
“I’m not saying let’s jump up and go around the world, but if we can open a flight travel bubble with New Zealand surely we can do the same with cruise ships, with protocols in place,” he said.
Cairns-based Coral Expeditions commercial director Jeff Gillies said as a smaller ship operator – with no more than 99 passengers allowed, the firm had done 70 voyages since restarting in October, across several states.
“We are able to do so because we are an Australian flagged vessel and comply with all the national and state laws,” he said.