Port of Townsville will welcome the region’s largest cruise ships on record over the next two weeks

After receiving a 4.8 out of 5 rating from cruise visitors, Townsville is set to receive six cruise ships within two weeks in what is expected to be a record fortnight.

Townsville Enterprise director of visitor economy and marketing Lisa Woolfe announced Townsville had received a visitor rating of 4.8/5. Picture: Holly Fishlock.

Townsville will welcome more than 7,500 tourists in the next two weeks of January in what is expected to be the biggest cruise fortnight for the region on record.

Six ships will dock at the Port of Townsville, including two of the largest cruise ships Townsville has seen.

The Queen Elizabeth will arrive on January 14 and the Pacific Encounter on January 20.

Townsville Enterprise director of visitor economy and marketing Lisa Woolfe said the mammoth fortnight comes off the back of recent passenger surveys with promising results.

“We’ve surveyed approximately 300 passengers and they’ve ranked this beautiful city and our beautiful region 4.8 out of 5,” she said.

Townsville Enterprise director of visitor economy and marketing Lisa Woolfe announced Townsville had received a visitor rating of 4.8/5. Picture: Holly Fishlock.

“4.8 out of 5 is absolutely sensational so passengers are walking back onto those ships absolutely loving this region, which does certainly help to attract them back into Townsville.”

Ms Woolfe said areas such as The Strand and experiences such as Billabong Sanctuary and Mungalla Aboriginal tours have a positive impact on visitors.

The six ships make up a total of 22 visiting the region during cruise season, generating an estimated $7.8 million in economic benefit for the region.

The Queen Elizabeth alone is expected to bring in $700,000 in economic benefit.

Ms Woolfe said the recent expansion of the Port of Townsville has made way for an increase in large cruise ships in the region.

“We have as a region recently had the channel widening project completed at the port, so that has opened up the opportunity for ships of up to 300 meters to come through our port,” she said.

“We are building a really strong brand for cruises as well.”

“We’re working collaboratively with Townsville Port, Townsville City Council and ourselves at Townsville Enterprise to make sure these visitors arrive, have an exceptional experience and tell all their friends and family.”

The upgrades are also expected to widen Townsville’s cruise season, Ms Woolfe said locals can soon expect to see cruise visitors year round.

“With the channel widening we will see an expansion of our cruise season and it will start to become a year round experience for us,”

“We’re cruising into the New Year with a record cruise season for our destination.”

“We’ve come off the back of 2024 as one of Australia’s fastest growing tourism destinations and we have no plans to slow that momentum.”

Originally published as Port of Townsville will welcome the region’s largest cruise ships on record over the next two weeks