Illegal operators nab cruise ship business

UNAUTHORISED tour operators near Hobart's cruise ship terminal are allegedly poaching customers.

Cruise Terminal

UNAUTHORISED tour operators are working near Hobart's cruise ship terminal without permits and poaching customers from legitimate businesses, a tourism leader says.

Destination Southern Tasmania chief executive Ben Targett said tour operators needed a permit to provide services near Macquarie Wharf 1.

Mr Targett said TasPorts had given Destination Southern Tasmania authority to issue permits to operators who had fulfilled the relevant criteria.

"The aim of this area is to ensure the people who first come off the ship are offered ... tours from professional, full-time tour operators," he said.

"We have had an issue with people who don't hold a permit trying to operate in this area.

"While we appreciate that those people are running businesses, there was a process in place and it's been put there to ensure the most professional arrival experience possible.

"We are committed to continuing to enforce the permit zone.

"As is always the case when you have thousands of potential customers in one place, you get people coming along who are trying to make a quick dollar."

Mr Targett said eight criteria had to be addressed during an application process.

"Anyone running a proper tourism business would be able to address them easily," he said.

"DIER are responsible for ensuring that the correct plates are held by tour operators and there aren't too many operating outside that."

Meanwhile, TasPorts yesterday responded to criticism from Deputy Lord Mayor Ron Christie that passengers from cruise ships berthing at Macquarie Wharf 4 rather than the new $7 million ferry terminal at Macquarie Wharf 2 had to walk several hundred metres to access services.

TasPorts said the majority of cruise vessel visits to Hobart this season would berth alongside the new terminal.

TasPorts chief operating officer Craig Heron said 29 of the 36 scheduled cruise vessel arrivals would tie up alongside the new terminal.

He said the Celebrity Solstice and the Voyager of the Seas would berth at Macquarie Wharf 4 following requests from the company that operates the vessels.

"The Macquarie 2 berth has the capacity to welcome all the 20 cruise vessels [some visit more than once] visiting Hobart this season," Mr Heron said.

"In the case of the Celebrity Solstice and the Voyager of the Seas, the cruise line has specific berthing requirements."

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