‘We are thrilled with the calibre of speakers at this year’s conference,’ ACA ceo Jill Abel said. They included Norwegian Cruise Line svp and md Asia Pacific Steve Odell, Ponant chair Asia Pacific Sarina Bratton, Viking Ocean Cruises executive director itinerary planning, nautical and technical operations Matt Grimes and Bruce Krumrine, vp shore excursions for Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O.
P&O Cruises Australia’s resident 1,800-passenger Pacific Pearl became the first cruise ship to call at Mooloolaba in July 2015. Ships anchor off Point Cartwright and passengers are transferred by tenders to the Underwater World Sea Life Aquarium jetty.
‘We understand that regional ports are becoming increasingly critical to the growth of the tourism sector in Australia and are delighted to have won this vey important event for the Sunshine Coast,’ Visit Sunshine Coast ceo Simon Latchford said in his welcome address.
‘Fittingly, cruises have grown by 28.6% to our region over the past year and with an average spend of A$269 per passenger injected into our tourism industry with each visit, this truly reflects the diverse and appealing natural experiences we can make available to guests,’ Latchford said.
A special event at the conference was the presentation of life membership to Chris White, Visit Victoria’s group manager product marketing. White was the chair of what was Cruise Down Under from 2010-2014 and
she served on the board for eight years.
She has worked closely with cruise lines, the ports of Melbourne, Geelong, Portland and the anchorage at Phillip Island to encourage cruise ships to visit and experience the diversity of the state.
‘Chris has worked tirelessly to promote the Australian cruise industry both domestically and globally and her contribution has been integral to the growth of the industry and the success we are experiencing today,’ ACA chairman Stephen Bradford said.
Other life members of the ACA are founding chairman Mike Bartlett, Glenn Stephens (Fremantle Ports), Judy Wood (Bob Wood Cruise Group), Evda Marangos (Victorian Ports Corporation) and Richard Doyle, head of
sales and marketing worldwide for SeaLink.
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