News from the cruise ship industry is constantly getting better as a new report pegs the industry’s worth at $3.2 billion. This is besides $1.7 billion absorbed by the economy through the passengers and the crew’s direct spending.
To step on board, each passenger parts with about $608 before proceeding on to spend roughly $180 a day at each embankment. The city of Sydney scored big in this front in 2013 as it attracted port-spend ups that averaged about $762 per person. Ports such as Brisbane lagged behind at an average of $449 per person owing to the less strategic positioning of its shipping terminal.
Gavin Smith, the Chairman of Cruise Lines International Association in Australia and Asia notes that the reports give meticulous wrap-ups of how the industry is transforming Australia’s tourism terrain. Smith adds that it also reminds the government and tourism entrepreneurs about the value of cruise ship industry to the Australian economy.
The 2014 report is more likely to carry better news since the year has so far recorded over 600 ship visits. This is higher than the total 2013 visits which brought in 833,348 visitors. The increasing tourism influx is made possible by cruise ship operators who make Australian ports part of their itineraries to profit from the country’s cruise vacation boom.
The Royal Caribbean’s Commercial Operations boss, Sean Treacy, notes that his company aims at taking advantage of the Australian market’s sunny days. The company is determined to become one of the world’s best known cruise ship companies by adding a couple of unique features such as ice skating and DreamWorks experience at sea. This gives a good picture of what Australia’s cruise ship industry is likely to transform into in a couple of years - a national giant cash magnet with twists of fun, flare and prosperity.