Cruise ships unlikely this year
DUNEDIN’S tourism industry is resigned to cruise ships not returning to the city until late next year.
Yesterday, a meeting was held with the local tourism industry in Dunedin to discuss the possible return of the cruise industry and how it may look in the future.
It was ‘‘most likely’’ cruise ships would not return to Dunedin, or New Zealand generally, until late 2022, chief executive of the New Zealand Cruise Association Kevin O’Sullivan told the meeting.
Despite the transtasman bubble being opened, cruise ships are still banned from entering New Zealand waters.
The association had proposed a staged reentry for the industry, starting with New Zealandonly passengers, then bringing in Australians.
‘‘If we can fly, why can’t we cruise?’’ Mr Sullivan said
That reentry and a cruising return was dependent on the Government starting the conversation, Mr O’Sullivan said.
He told the group if there was a conversation begun, it was possible there could be a limited restart this year.
However, that was looking ‘‘very, very unlikely’’ and it was more likely going to be next year.
The industry had met the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and was going to meet Minister of Tourism Stuart Nash this month.
The cruising industry had been unfairly targeted and the sector needed a better public relations strategy, local tourism operator Neil Harraway said.
Cruise ships became Covid hot spots last year, particularly after Ruby Princess, which sailed around New Zealand, became the source of one of Australia’s biggest outbreaks.
‘‘I don’t think the public understands what the cruise industry has done to reset . . . things like the buffet have gone, less guests and more testing on board.
‘‘They have the tough regulations in place now but I don’t think that that message has got out,’’ he said
Mr Harraway, who runs Monarch Wildlife Cruises andTours, said before Covid19 half of his business was made up of cruise ship and coaches.
Monarch Wildlife Cruises and tours could get through another ‘‘lean summer’’ with the Strategic Tourism Asset Protection Programme (STAPP) funding from MBIE.
‘‘I would like to see them come back safely and when people are ready,’’ he said.
A spokesman in Minister of Tourism Stuart Nash’s office said the Ministry of Health had oversight of the border control mechanisms concerning cruise ships.
They said at present there was a domestic cruise industry, with a limit of 100 persons per ship.