Western Australia showcases its ports to cruise line executives

It is the sixth time WA has hosted the Exchange, with the number of cruise lines taking part more than doubling since the inaugural event in 2013.

The Exchange comes ahead of a bumper cruise season for WA, with the maiden call of Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess in Fremantle on October 28, followed by Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth on November 7.

In all, more than 10,000 cruise passengers are expected to visit WA between October and December.

First-time attendees

Representatives of Carnival Australia, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Australian Pacific Touring, MSC Cruises and Ponant are at WACE 2022, along with first-time attendees Heritage Cruises, Coral Expeditions and Viking.

The ports of Albany, Broome, Busselton, Dampier, Esperance, Exmouth, Fremantle and Geraldton are represented, as well as the peak body for Aboriginal tours and experiences, the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council.

Untapped potential

Cook said the Exchange is ‘a great opportunity’ to show the global cruise industry that Western Australia has untapped potential for providing incredible onshore experiences for passengers looking for one-of-a-kind destinations.

‘The fact that this event is increasing in popularity reflects the growing appetite cruise lines and their passengers have for the unique experiences available in our state,’ he said.