WA Tourism Minister, Paul Papalia has confirmed he will open the 22nd annual Australian Cruise Association Conference (ACA) and AGM being held in Broome, Western Australia from September 12-14.
Once a destination for pearl luggers, Broome is now a fast-growing cruise destination which last year welcomed 15 cruise ship visits.
Jill Abel, CEO of ACA said: “We are seeing the regional ports becoming increasingly critical to the growth of the cruise tourism sector in Australia. We wanted to recognise that in our selection of the destination for our annual conference and look forward to working with Broome on creating a highly successful event.”
A strong speaker line-up has been confirmed for the event with presentations focusing on the theme – “Forging Stronger Relationships.”
Sessions will look at how different sectors of the industry are working collaboratively for a greater gain – particularly relevant after ACA signed recent MOUs with both CLIA and the NZ Cruise Association.
Newly added to the speaker line-up is Dean Brazier from Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV). CMV is a small ship, independent cruise line out of Britain offering “country house style” cruising.
One of their premium ships, Astor, will homeport in Fremantle again from late 2018, with 13 cruises that will allow guests to explore WA’s South West. They will also visit Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney next season.
Dean rounds out a record line up of cruise line executives including Sture Myrmell – President, Carnival Australia and Chairman of CLIA, Susan Bonner, recently appointed Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand for Royal Caribbean International, Timothy Littley from Seabourn, Bruce Krumrine from Princess Cruises and Michael Mihajlov from Carnival Australia.
Other interesting topics such as infrastructure development, government and environmental regulations will be covered under our theme.
A range of networking tours planned to showcase the destination will kick off activities on Wednesday 12 September. These will include early morning camel rides along iconic Cable Beach; an aboriginal cultural tour and the iconic Willie Creek Pearl Farm tour.
Attendees are encouraged to confirm their registration at https://ors.eventsair.com/australian-cruise-association-2018/regocc/Site/Register prior to July 31 to take advantage of the earlybird deals which reflect $100 discount off the full rate.
The conference and AGM will be held at the award-winning Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa, situated on the world-famous 22km-long Cable Beach, offering a stunning backdrop to the event. Other local venues such as the Broome Surf Life Saving Club and the Mangrove Hotel will also host events showcasing the spectacular coastal location which is now a drawcard for domestic and international passengers on cruise itineraries.
This event is coming at a good time in Broome’s cruise development. Federal Government funding has been secured to purchase an all-tide gangway system for the port that will enable more efficient passenger disembarkation. In addition, the Western Australian State Government is currently working toward solutions that will improve entry to the ports of both Broome and Exmouth.
With multiple airlines servicing the region, Broome can be accessed by several Australian capital cities; during the peak season (April-October) direct flights are available from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as well as from Perth all year round.
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