Cruising generates a sea of cash

By SIMON HENDERY retail reporter

A record 52,000 cruise-ship passengers visited Auckland this summer, pouring an estimated $105 million into the city's economy.

The summer cruise season ended yesterday when the Pacific Sky left for Sydney on the last of its four voyages out of Auckland.

Overall, passenger numbers were up 44 per cent on last season, when 36,000 visited the city.

This season's direct-spend by cruise ships and their passengers - on items such as shore excursions and hotels - was also a record, says an economic report prepared by McDermott Fairgray and commissioned by industry group Cruise New Zealand.

The report estimates that the direct-spend for Auckland was up $14 million, or 15 per cent, to $105 million.

Across the country, this season's direct-spend was estimated at $176 million, nearly double last season's figure.

The report says the economic multiplier (flow-on) effect of this spend is estimated at $375 million for Auckland and $630 million for the country as a whole.

Eighteen ships, ranging in size from the 140-passenger, four-masted motor sailer Wind Song to the 1900-passenger Aurora, made a total of 40 calls at Auckland.

The cruise ship season, which normally ends in April, was extended this year when the Pacific Sky took a mixture of Australian and New Zealand passengers on four Pacific cruises out of Auckland, starting last month.

Cruise New Zealand chairman Craig Harris said about 29,000 passengers arrived at Auckland Airport this season to join cruise ships, up from 19,500 during the previous season.

He said the impact of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on this year's cruise ship season had been minimal, but because of the long lead time involved in planning cruise schedules, there would be a greater impact on the 2002-2003 season.

"Where we could have expected numbers to be up again next season, we are now expecting about the same numbers as this season, with two major cruise ship companies relocating ships back to the US market post-September 11."

However, said Harris, "for the following season [2003-2004] we expect to resume the upward growth pattern."