The 2024 Destination NSW Cruise Ready Workshop series concluded last week following sessions in Eden, Newcastle and Sydney.
More than 180 visitor economy stakeholders joined the Destination NSW Product Development team and cruise industry experts during the workshop series to learn more about the shore excursion opportunity at or around NSW cruise ports.
Cruise shore excursions make a valuable contribution to growing the NSW visitor economy. According to data from Cruise Lines International Association each domestic cruise passenger spends on average $197 per day while in port.
Eden’s summer cruise season for 2023/24 was the busiest on record, with cruise ship arrivals up more than 20 per cent compared with the previous summer season.
There were 41 ship visits to Eden, which brought more than 70,000 passengers and 30,000 crew into the state’s largest regional cruise port. The arrivals injected an estimated $19 million into the region’s visitor economy, based on previous data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
Newcastle saw 16 cruise ship arrivals and more than 20,000 passengers and 10,000 crew sail into its port during the season, injecting more than $6 million into the region’s visitor economy.
Destination NSW’s full-day Cruise Ready Workshops focused on maximising bookable experiences, including learning about the cruise distribution network, markets and demographics; how to create cruise shore excursions; and Destination NSW cruise resources and support.
Destination NSW Acting CEO Ian Maltman said: “Destination NSW is committed to investing in industry resources that help NSW visitor economy businesses create world-class shore experiences for cruise passengers.
“Cruising injected more than $2.7 billion into NSW in the 2022-23 financial year and plays a vital role in driving visitor economy growth.”
Australian Cruise Association Membership & Events Manager Natalie Godward said: “Knowledge building and networking were a key outcome for each of the three workshops.
“It’s these sorts of events that help build capacity and resilience across our industry to ensure destinations are ready to deliver world class cruise experiences and to maximise the economic benefits for the regions that cruise visit. It was a pleasure to be part of these workshops.”
Destination NSW cruise resources include the Quick Tips for Creating Cruise Shore Experiences guide and the Cruise Sydney & NSW – Along the Blue Highway guide, which showcases NSW cruise ports and experiences to cruise lines and stakeholders.
Photos and videos highlighting onshore experiences at all nine NSW ports are available on the Destination NSW Content Library. The content can be used to promote cruising in NSW to both domestic and international audiences across all marketing channels. Visit the Content Library here.
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