The Sapphire Coast will be one of the main beneficiaries of a surge in cruise passenger numbers with 25 cruise ships set to visit the Port of Eden during the 2024-2025 season.
The ships are expected to bring in 43,000 passengers and 20,000 crew to the Port, injecting a potential $12 million into the local economy.
The Port of Newcastle will also see an increase in international visitors with 12 cruise ship visits, bringing 12,500 passengers and 6500 crew who can take advantage of the diverse array of shore excursions to explore the best of the Hunter region and nearby coastal towns.
The report also showed a 50 per cent jump in jobs with the industry supporting employment for 13,714 full time jobs in NSW over 2023/24.
“Cruise tourism has been thriving in Australia and the economic benefits are now higher than they have ever been,” CLIA Managing Director in Australasia Joel Katz said.
“The previous financial year brought record levels of economic activity, record levels of visitor spending and record levels of employment in NSW and around the country.
“Cruise tourism is now worth $8.43 billion a year to the Australian economy – billions of dollars more than previous years – and it supports more than 26,000 jobs in communities around our coasts.”
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Australia recorded almost 4.3 million passenger visit days during 2023-24, an increase of 26.9 per cent over the previous year, Australian Cruise Association (ACA) CEO Jill Abel said.
“The result is an enormous windfall for businesses like tourism operators, hotels and restaurants, retailers, transport providers and port operators,” she said.
“In addition, passengers often return to destinations they initially discovered on a cruise, which creates added benefits for communities in the longer term.”
