Hobart welcomes first cruise ship of the 2018-19 season, the Sea Princess, from Burnie
HOBART’S population has swelled by more than 3000 people with the arrival of the first cruise ship for the summer season.
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HOBART has welcomed its first cruise ship of the 2018-19 summer season.
The towering Sea Princess, with about 2400 passengers and 910 crew on board, sailed down the River Derwent just before 10am today.
It’s the first of 64 cruise liners to dock in Hobart this summer.
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More than 128,000 passengers and 56,000 crew are expected to step of the tourist ships and venture around the state’s capital in coming months.
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Destination Southern Tasmania chief executive Alex Heroys said it would only be a quick stopover for the Sea Princess.
“She arrives at 10am and departs at 8.30pm,” he said.
He said Hobart would see an increased number of high-yielding luxury vessels this season.
“With an 8 per cent increase from last year in ship visits to Hobart from 59 to 64, but only a 0.3 per cent increase in passenger and crew numbers, this shows the strategy to promote Tasmania to higher end, lower capacity ships is working,” Mr Heroys said.
“During the 2017-18 season, direct passenger spend for Hobart and Port Arthur was more than $27 million, with another $2.8 million spent by crew.”
He said he hoped that by showcasing the best of Hobart and southern Tasmania, it would increase the likelihood of return visitation.
In the past three years an average of 10,000 returning tourists a year said they were influenced by an initial cruise ship visit.
This returning group had an average spend of $2260 per person in Tasmania — 22 per cent higher than the $1847 average spend per person of all visitors.
“Whether it’s the hospitality businesses in Hobart or the tourism attractions in regional Tasmania, we will see a significant economic spend on the day as well as the chance to promote a return visit,” Mr Heroys said.
The next cruise ship, the Majestic Princess, in its first visit to Hobart, is due to dock at 7am on Sunday, October 14.
The Viking Sun, Viking Orion and Queen Elizabeth will also make inaugural visits this summer.
jack.paynter@news.com.au
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