Region ‘thrilled’ to welcome first cruise ship visit in two years
The first cruise ship to visit Nelson in more than two years has arrived, bringing tourists from the United States and Australia.
The Seabourn Odyssey, which docked at Port Nelson on Wednesday morning, was the first of seven cruise ships set to visit the region between now and the beginning of March.
Nelson Regional Development Agency visitor destination manager Tracee Neilson welcomed passengers at a pop-up i-SITE on Trafalgar St after they disembarked. ‘‘Everyone was positive, excited to be here,’’ Neilson said.
The passengers, who mostly hailed from the US and Australia, were at the tail end of a 65-day cruise that began in Vancouver, she said.
The long journey time meant only 10% of the passengers had pre-booked tours, Neilson said. Typically, 50% signed up for these trips, which ranged from helicopter tours to Abel Tasman National Park excursions.
However, a number of passengers were keen to explore the city and beyond, she said, with some heading off on walks in the Grampians, and others visiting Christ Church Cathedral, jeweller Jens Hansen, Ho¨glund Glass, and the Nelson Classic Car Museum.
Stats NZ figures show that in the year ending June 2020, 283,000 cruise ship passengers visited New Zealand, spending a total of $547 million. Almost 6000 of them visited Nelson, making the season the best the region has seen so far.
The Covid-19 pandemic put the brakes on foreign cruise ship arrivals, with the last vessel docking in Aotearoa in March 2020.
On July 31 this year, the country’s maritime border reopened, and the first cruise ship, the P&O Pacific Explorer docked in Auckland on August 21.
The seven anticipated cruise ship visits meant a potential 3000 visitors, equating to about $1.5m in economic benefits for the region, Neilson said.
‘‘Retailers, hospitality really welcome them – we’re really thrilled to welcome them back.’’
The ship left Nelson on Wednesday night, with New Plymouth its next destination.