Cruise tourism to contribute $695m to economy by 2019

Cruise tourism projected to contribute $695m to economy by 2019

12 December 2018

The latest report on cruise tourism’s economic contribution was released today by New Zealand Cruise Association, showing that cruise is a valuable and fast-growing part of the New Zealand tourism industry, spreading wealth and supporting thousands of jobs in communities across the country.

The report, prepared by consultant Market Economics, draws on data from StatsNZ, and shows the value of the cruise sector to the New Zealand economy, including forecasts for the 2018-19 season.

Key facts:

• The contribution cruise makes to the nation’s economy is projected to increase by more than 40% over the coming year, from $491 million in 2017/18, to $695 million in the 2018/19 season.

• Passenger numbers will increase 27% over the same period, from almost 275,000 to around 348,000, mainly from Australia, North America, New Zealand and Europe.

• The number of days that cruise ships will spend in New Zealand ports will increase from 707 days last season to more than 920 days in the 2018/19 cruise season. • The cruise sector supported 9,100 jobs in the 2017/18 season, and this is projected to grow by 40% to 12,800 in the 2018/19 season.

• In many regions, the economic contribution of the cruise industry is likely to increase by 30% or more this coming season.

New Zealand Cruise Association Chief Executive Officer Kevin O’Sullivan says the New Zealand cruise sector is continuing to boom, and the outlook is extremely positive.

“The report reinforces the importance of cruise to the New Zealand tourist economy, particularly to regional economies.”

But he cautions that New Zealand must put a brake on increasing costs if we want to avoid being seen as an expensive destination.

“We continue to see proposals at regional and national level to load more fees onto cruise, which means itinerary planners could re-think deploying ships to New Zealand.”

About New Zealand Cruise Association

The New Zealand Cruise Association is the industry association of New Zealand’s cruise sector. The New Zealand Cruise Association represents more than 90 members and is the industry voice of cruise in the region. The New Zealand Cruise Association has been the driving force in attracting cruise lines to New Zealand since 1994, and has played a major part in building New Zealand’s world-renowned reputation as a cruise-friendly destination.

Download the Cruise Tourism’s Contribution to the New Zealand Economy 2018 report at https://newzealandcruiseassociation.com

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