$20m windfall to come from NT Govt’s last-minute change of mind on cruise ships
The NT Government’s 11th-hour change of mind about COVID restrictions governing cruise ships means most of the 5000 tourists who were heading for Broome will now come to Darwin first, delivering a $20 million windfall.
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THE 11th-hour change of mind by the NT Government about COVID restrictions governing cruise ships means most of the 5000 tourists who were heading for Broome will now come to Darwin first, delivering a $20 million windfall.
The Australian-owned Expedition ship companies impacted by the NT Government’s original decision to restrict the number of people per boat to 99 are now working frantically to change their itineraries that will see their cruise ships operating out of Darwin rather than WA.
Coral Expeditions has three cruise ships, the Coral Adventurer, Coral Discoverer and Coral Geographer, that were scheduled to cruise from Darwin from April to September.
The 99-person limit made it impossible for the cruise ship companies to operate profitably out of Darwin so a decision was made to shift to Broome.
However Thursday’s announcement by the NT Government, increasing the number of people small expedition cruise ships can carry in Darwin waters to 150. has put a halt to the Broome plan.
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Guests will now be able to board or disembark in Darwin.
Tourism Top End general manager Glen Hingley said since the announcement was made cruise ship companies have started to unravel their plans to move to Broome.
“That will be great for our tourism industry,” Mr Hingley said.
“We have been able to identify some 7000 Australian customers that had booked to either fly in or come on board the Ghan.
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“These people will be spending anywhere from one night to eight nights in the Top End before leaving on their expedition cruise ship to the Kimberley.”
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