Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

2 2 6 NORTH AMERICA: REPORT Weathering the storm The Port of Galveston is improving its transport and mobility services in preparation for when sailing resumes and to continue its economic contributions to the region O ne of the most popular cruise ports in the USA, the Port of Galveston is usually a bustling hub of activity. Welcoming passengers that have just finished a cruise or onboarding others ready for their first-ever at-sea vacation – these are what drive the port to keep striving to be one of the best. However, Covid-19 has impacted the port as much as any other, causing Galveston’s operations to shut down completely. Cruise business accounts for around half of the port’s own revenue and is a big economic driver for the region as a whole. In 2019, more than one million passengers sailed from Galveston, passengers and crew accounted for US$115 million in local spending and 13 per cent of hotel guests were cruise passengers. The port also provides over 3,500 cruise-related jobs in the area, and its cruise operations generated over $16 million in state and local sales tax revenues in 2018. “It’s safe to say that restarting our cruise business will help jump-start Galveston County’s economic recovery with job creation, local spending, tax revenues and hotel stays,” said Rodger Rees, port director and CEO, in a port blog post. According to Rees, many cruise lines have been spending this “no-sail” time exploring new ideas and concepts to further enhance public health protocols and policies, as well as caring for and repatriating crew members – efforts that have been complicated by pandemic- related travel restrictions and differing government policies. Rees said: “They are addressing a wide range of measures, including enhanced boarding procedures, additional onboard public health and sanitation protocols, monitoring capabilities, quarantine arrangements and shoreside care for guests and crew.” Galveston has also been using this time to prepare for when cruising can restart, carry out essential maintenance work and make port improvements that will enable it to better accommodate cruise passengers in the future, for example in mobility and transportation. In July 2020, Galveston Wharves received a $3.75 million grant to improve port access and traffic flow via a new internal roadway. Construction will