By
Rebecca Gibson |
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia has partnered with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) to promote the sustainable growth of cruise tourism in the region.
Announced during the United Nations Small Islands Developing States meeting in Samoa this week, the partnership will enable both organisations to combine their resources, networks and experience to create an important leadership forum in the region.
“The projects implemented through this partnership will aim to serve the interests of both the SPTO member nations and the cruise lines that bring tourists to the islands,” said Ilisoni Vuidreketi, chief executive of SPTO. “Specifically, it will create a platform of information and insights for developing a coordinated and collaborative strategic plan for cruise tourism in the Pacific.”
Recent CLIA statistics indicate that the South Pacific is the most popular destination for cruise tourists from Australian and New Zealand, with around 350,000 of them visiting the region last year. CLIA and SPTO aim to help South Pacific nations to better understand the facilities and services required by cruise operators.
“For cruise lines and member nations, the partnership will provide essential information and analysis on capacity, source markets, destinations and shoreside experiences plus an assessment of challenges and constraints of operating in the region,” said Vuidreketi. “This partnership gives us the opportunity to share any major development activities and opportunities and to work towards mutually beneficial outcomes in terms of the growth of the cruise tourism sector.”
CLIA Australasia’s executive director Neil Linwood explained that the partnership recognised the importance of developing sustainable cruise tourism in the region. He said: “It is very important to our member cruise lines that we work collaboratively with the region to develop cruise tourism in a manner which will help to deliver further economic benefits to our South Pacific neighbours over the years ahead,” Linwood said.
Earlier this week, a report released by Carnival Australia, the Australian government, and World Bank Group member IFC, indicated that cruise tourism injected AUS$34 million into the South Pacific island of Vanuatu’s economy last year. Cruise tourism also generated a further AUS$18 million in indirect economic benefits, while the island is expected to gain AUS$35 million of net economic benefit opportunity based on further investment in Vanuatu’s cruise tourism sector.