THE cruise industry is of great importance to the Government of New South Wales, Minister for Tourism John Graham told CW, at a time during which the state plans its Visitor Economy Strategy through to 2035 (CW 11 Oct).
Graham, who spoke at a Cruise Lines International Association & Business Sydney lunch on Fri (see page 2), said the cruise industry was one of the key stakeholders consulted in the Strategy’s review.
“Experience tourism” will be key to the Strategy, Graham said, which links in with the cruise industry’s feedback of the need to develop more onshore excursions and experiences.
“The key change we’re trying to drive is…thinking about it, not just as a disjointed part of the journey, but really the whole experience they’ll have, how they get here, what they do when they get here,” Graham said, speaking exclusively to CW on the sidelines of the event.
“That focus will really be crucial to making sure that we’re joined up between the regulatory changes, welcoming the ships here, to then smoothly making sure we’re building up the experiences as people arrive.”
“We’re asking those questions of the industry, ‘what assistance do you need’; it won’t just be assistance from the tourism agency, you need help from planning, from transport, from the whole of government to be able to make this possible.”
Graham said the Government has also heard the calls to maximise the opportunities for Newcastle as a port of call, particularly at a time when its airport attempts to lure foreign airlines ahead of its new int’l terminal opening next year.
The minister also opened up on a third cruise terminal for Sydney, in line with this publication’s reporting last week that the project is still on the table.
“There’s been some long-running discussions when it comes to the future of Newcastle, the question about a third terminal…the Government’s focus is on bringing those to a head, working with the industry to really land what the right approach is, and then moving on,” Graham said.
“We’ve done that with ship-to-shore-power…we need to do that with these other key questions, which are long-running discussions, but we need to work closely with the industry to get the right plan and then drive it working together.”
Growth in both Sydney and Newcastle will not mean Eden gets left behind however, with Graham waxing of the transformation of the town into NSW’s largest’s rural cruise port.
Eden’s development will occur in a balanced manner, Graham said, ensuring the town can successfully handle calls. MS