Jo Raphael: Cruise ship passengers a sight for sore eyes

The Majestic Princess is the first cruise ship to return to the Bay in two-and-a-half years. Photo / Laura Smith

OPINION

After mask mandates were lifted, alert levels and traffic light settings were dropped, life felt somewhat normal again - but there was something not quite right.

The realisation is glaringly obvious - there are no tourists and there haven't been for a long time.

Born and bred in Rotorua, I got used to side-stepping swarms of backpack-laden, camera-toting manuhiri, being stopped for directions in town or following an obviously lost rental car down the street.

Covid, as we know, put a stop to all that. But I just didn't realise how much I missed it.

Our manuhiri were our lifeblood and our Bay of Plenty cities Rotorua and Tauranga, still getting back up on their feet, feel empty without them.

There's a certain vibrancy missing from our region.

Of course, we're grateful to our travellers from other parts of New Zealand who visited after lockdown, but our overseas visitors were sorely missed.

Our tourism and accommodation sectors have been decimated.

This is why the first cruise ship to dock in Tauranga's port for two-and-a-half years is a godsend.

The Majestic Princess docked in the port early on Saturday morning carrying passengers and crew from all over the world but with 65 per cent from North America.

They were here for a mere 12 hours but it's hoped they packed in as many experiences as possible during that time.

Carrying 3500 guests and 1300 staff, the Majestic Princess is a magnificent floating hotel and was a spectacle for cruise ship spotters as she sailed into and out of the harbour.

This is just the beginning - visiting ships will bring more than 170,000 passengers and almost 73,00 crew to the region in the next six months.

We reported back in May that businesses were working hard to get up and running again in time to welcome cruise ship passengers.

Many cruise-focused companies closed or went into a long hibernation.

Some say they lost up to 85 per cent of business when the borders shut.

Cruise ship passengers will bring much-needed revenue and a much-needed sense of purpose back to our region.

Tourism is deeply rooted in our history and we're so good at hosting visitors.

I'm glad we're getting on with the job and restoring the mana and wairua of our precious tourism sector.

Whether they spend their day exploring the Mount's shopping and dining precincts, combing beaches, climbing Mauao or taking in Rotorua's natural wonders, boiling mud, and Māori culture, tourists are back and boy are we glad they are.