CRUISE a key player
This is a guest column from Visit Victoria’s Chris White.
Australia’s major events capital Melbourne is serving up great summer weather along with a packed events calendar with many of the hallmark experiences coinciding with the cruise season.
Carnival Australia has brought guests from Sydney and Brisbane to the Melbourne Cup Carnival — the horse race that stops the nation – for many years, with several ships basing themselves in Melbourne for at least two days.
The Australian Open tennis tournament has just concluded with a record 849,000 visitors attending the two-week event.
With cities stretched to provide enough accommodation during major events, cruising becomes the perfect solution with ships delivering spectators during the day and welcoming them back to their cabins at night.
This year P&O Australia offered passengers the opportunity to attend the Australian Open, while Viking had guests in attendance at the Men’s Semi-final.
These visits are a huge bonus to Melbourne with the ships being able to accommodate visitors who otherwise may not have been able to attend the event.
There are plenty of other opportunities for cruise lines to work with events including the Australian Grand Prix, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
By providing this partnership, the cruise industry helps to drive important economic impact to destinations.