Storm clouds gather as two cruise ships, Noordam and Radiance of the Seas, visit the Bay of Islands on January 15 this year. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Storm clouds gather as two cruise ships, Noordam and Radiance of the Seas, visit the Bay of Islands on January 15 this year. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Cruise ship spending in Northland rose by almost 17 per cent in 2019-20 despite a drop in passenger numbers due to Covid cutting the season short.
The coming season, however, is likely to see a 100 per cent drop in international passengers and spending, though tourism operators are hoping NewZealand-only cruises will be possible this summer.
The unexpected lift in cruise ship expenditure in 2019-20 is revealed in new data released by Statistics New Zealand, showing a total spend of $23.7 million compared to $20.2m the previous season. By far the biggest proportion of the spending was in the Bay of Islands.
The increase was despite the season coming to an abrupt end on March 14 when the Government announced a ban on cruise ship visits due to the Covid-19 pandemic, though ships already in New Zealand waters were allowed to complete their journeys.
The Ruby Princess had been due to call into Paihia on March 18 but after a stop in Napier on March 15 it returned to its home port in Sydney instead. The ship triggered a number of infections in Hawke's Bay then went on to cause Australia's worst cluster with more than 900 cases and 28 deaths.
Another 15 ships had been scheduled to visit the Bay of Islands when the season came to a sudden end, hence the 13 per cent drop in passenger numbers from 123,000 in the previous season to 107,000 in 2019-20.
It's anyone's guess when cruise ship visits will resume.
Ovation of the Seas on its maiden visit to the Bay of Islands in 2017. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Far North Holdings cruise ship co-ordinator Irwin Wilson said it was fortunate the pandemic occurred late in the summer, so most tourism operators had a reasonable season.
''If it had been in December or January it would have been hugely different.''
He believed the increased spend, despite a fall in numbers, was due to better weather encouraging passengers to get out and do more.
Port processes had also improved over the years, as had the range of on-shore tours and attractions available to passengers.
By this time of year the season would normally be under way with two or three ships already calling in to the Bay.
At present no international cruise ships were expected this season, though there was interest in starting up a New Zealand cruise for Kiwi passengers this summer.
If that went ahead he hoped Northland would be included on the itinerary.
Even cruise ship visits by Australians, who made up half of all passengers last year, looked unlikely at this point.
Wilson hoped domestic tourism would help get operators through the summer.
Northland's increased cruise ship spending bucked the national trend which saw expenditure decline overall by 3 per cent from $565m to $547m, due to sharp drops at Tauranga, Wellington and most South Island ports.
The port with the biggest spend in 2019-20 was Auckland ($208m) while Dunedin had the most passengers (191,000).
The figures for cruise ship expenditure combine passenger spending and spending by the cruise ship companies on fees, fuel and provisions.
