Access report identifies port constraints
SYDNEY – In its second annual report on the cruise industry, Access Economics estimated that total cruise sector activity will increase seven percent each year over the next decade as more Australian families cruise onboard ships which regularly visit major ports such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Fremantle, Cairns, Adelaide and Hobart.
“The importance of Sydney as a destination is critical to the growth of the cruise sector in terms of attracting international (cruise) tourists to Australia,” the report said.
“Issues around the provision of suitable infrastructure, in Sydney and elsewhere, will need to be addressed for the sector to reach its growth potential,” it added.
Sydney remains the busiest cruise port and is also the most heavily booked destination. It is also the port that most international tourists visit.
While there have been encouraging attempts to deal with the variable quality of port infrastructure in Sydney, Carnival Australia CEO Ann Sherry said further solutions were needed east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to accommodate the bigger ships being built around the world and a tripling of passenger numbers by 2020.
“As our cruise ships increase in size, only 15 percent of liners visiting Sydney in 2020 will be able to dock west of the Harbour Bridge.
“The industry and government must work together to resolve outstanding issues such as capacity constraints,” she said.
The report finds that port infrastructure is of a variable quality across Australia. Melbourne’s Station Pier, for example, is considered by some as the model cruise shipping port in Australia, with sufficient port capacity, good quality of maintenance and a 30-year plan that encompasses cruise shipping.
Carnival Australia will this week welcome its fifth ship to sail from Australia full-time. P&O Cruises’ superliner, Pacific Jewel, will be based in Sydney.
Ian Jarrett
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