The cruise industry has again underlined its importance to Sydney with a new report suggesting the total spend by passengers, crew and cruise ship operators will more than treble to $1.3 billion by 2019/20.
Employment is also projected to jump from 3,150 jobs to more than 10,000 over the same period.
The Deloitte Access Economics report, commissioned by Carnival Australia, revealed that passengers, crew and operators spent a combined $400 million in Sydney in 2010-2011 alone.
“Their combined spending is expected to increase to $1.3 billion by 2019-2020 as the economic contribution of cruising continues to grow,” Carnival Australia chief executive Ann Sherry said.
“Passenger ships are also a vital part of Sydney Harbour’s maritime heritage and while our ships will visit ports around Australia this summer cruise season, Sydney remains the Australian gateway for visiting ships.”
The report will act as a further reminder to the government that a failure to genuinely address the lack of infrastructure in Sydney could have a damaging affect on the economy.
Total passenger expenditure is forecast to rise 36% this season, by 50% in 2012/13 and a further 13% in 2013/14.
From 2015 to 2020 growth in the sector is projected to stabilize to about 5% to 7%, the report states with the growth in expenditure supported by significant increases in passenger numbers.
