Port Arthur breaks one-day visit record as cruise ships call at historic site

A BIG boost from cruise ship passengers has helped the Port Arthur historic site smash its one-day visitor record.

Port Arthur Church

A BIG boost from cruise ship passengers has helped the Port Arthur historic site smash its one-day visitor record.

The Dawn Princess visited Port Arthur on Wednesday as part of its circumnavigation of Tasmania, dropping off 1731 passengers at the World Heritage-listed site.

With the addition of people who arrived by land, the admission of 3814 people broke the record set just a month ago by more than 1100.

Director of Tourism Operations Anne McVilly said visitor numbers were particularly poignant given that this time last year the site was in the midst of the bushfire emergency and was closed for 10 days.

"This is the fifth of nine cruise ships we have hosted at Port Arthur this season," she said.

"Handling these volumes of visitors on such a regular basis has enabled us to refine and streamline some of our operations and ensure that all visitors are given good service.

"For example, we have provided additional outdoor food, beverage and retail outlets, which has alleviated pressure on the visitor centre, making for a better experience for our visitors.

"We're also delighted to see that many of the cruise ship visitors opt to explore out into the region, which obviously gives the local economy a boost."

And the popularity of the site is expected to continue.

On February 11, the arrival of the Pacific Pearl at Port Arthur and the presence of two other cruise ships scheduled to dock in Hobart is expected to produce another big influx of visitors.

"The Port Arthur Historic Site looks forward to welcoming these visitors and are prepared for what will hopefully be another record-breaking day," Ms McVilly said.

A number of passengers from Dawn Princess took tours that visited the World Heritage-listed Coal Mines Historic Site, while others took tours to various local scenic spots.

Cascades Female Factory manager Greta McDonald said that site was also enjoying the highest visitor numbers to date this summer.

"We are having a terrific season and there is a noticeable increase in our numbers when there is a ship docked in Hobart," she said.

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