19 Aug 2010
The growth of cruising as a tourism sector will be discussed at the 2010 Cruise Down Under conference in Brisbane next week, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor said today.
Mr Lawlor said Australia continued to welcome an increasing number of cruise ship passengers to its shores; with passenger numbers growing by more than 30 percent in 2008 – 2009, compared with the previous year.
“The 14th annual Cruise Down Under conference, sponsored by Tourism Queensland, Portside Wharf and Brisbane Marketing will bring together more than 100 delegates from across the Asia Pacific region,” Mr Lawlor said.
“The conference is the premier cruise shipping event for tourism and cruise officials to gather and discuss the state of the industry, international port comparisons and the sustainability of the industry.
“The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Rise to the Challenge’ and keynote speakers include top international and domestic cruise executives.
“Attendees will gain insights from leading representatives from Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises/Royal Celebrity Tours and Aurora Expeditions, into the challenges for the industry and the growth opportunities into the future.”
Mr Lawlor said Tourism Queensland had increased its focus on the cruise industry in response to the continuous growth the cruise market experienced in recent years.
“Between 2008 and 2009 Queensland’s cruise shipping industry generated more than $203 million in related expenditure - an increase of more than $52 million on the previous year - and supported more than 1000 full time jobs,” he said.
“Furthermore almost 248,000 passengers visited Queensland ports during the same year, an increase of more than 78,500 compared with 2007-08.”
Cruise shipping has been identified as a priority market development opportunity for Queensland. Supporting the industry’s growth and protecting tourism jobs are key actions of the Bligh Government’s Tourism Action Plan to 2012.
