The New Zealand Cruise Association welcomed the country’s maritime border reopening to international cruise ships at midnight July 31, according to Seatrade.
The last time a foreign-flagged cruise ship docked in New Zealand was March 2020 and the first to re-enter will be P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Explorer on August 12.
‘Pre-pandemic their visits were worth in excess of NZ$500m a year, providing a valuable economic contribution to our regions,’ Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said.
The NZCA, in partnership with Regional Tourism New Zealand and regional tourism organisations, has been holding workshops to prepare communities for cruising's return. They have already been held in Napier, Auckland and Wellington, with Dunedin (August 2), Tauranga (August 5), Bay of Islands (August 10), Gisborne (August 30) and Picton (September 6) to follow.
Meantime, the NZCA annual conference, which has been postponed for the last two years, will be held in Auckland on August 18.