P&O PONDERS PACIFIC CRUISE HUB

P&O Cruises is considering the creation of a cruise hub in the South Pacific, with Vanuatu named as a possible destination. Revealed at the Tok Tok Vanuatu 2014 tourism expo in Port Vila earlier this month, the move has been well received by local tourism affiliates who consider cruising to be a key driver of the tourism sector. “Cruising is a very important sector, especially for the outer islands where we don’t have access by air,” Vanuatu Tourism Office general manager Linda Kalpoi told travelbulletin in Vanuatu. “We have over 100 cruise calls each season.” There are currently six locations in Vanuatu where ships dock or moor for tender services, including Port Vila on Efate, Luganville and Champagne Beach on Espiritu Santo, Wala on Malekula, Mystery Island and Pentecost Island. Details of the cruise hub are still sketchy, but Kalpoi flagged an expansion of P&O’S operation in Vanuatu. The cruise operator is also looking to identify a location for Tanna, she added. “They [P&O Cruises] need to have the hydrographic engineer’s report and other data to identify a site, so that is hindering the development of cruise ship growth in Tanna at the moment,” she said. A report released earlier this month showed that the cruise industry injected $34 million to Vanuatu last year, with a further $18 million in indirect economic benefits. The report, jointly funded by Carnival Australia, the Australian Government and IFC, also found that the cruise industry provided more than 3000 jobs in Vanuatu.