POLL: Wollongong's tourism chief is calling for action to provide more attractions for visitors now the first of what's hoped to be many cruise companies has committed to visiting Wollongong.
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Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh said Radiance of the Seas' first visit to Port Kembla in October 2016 was already attracting attention from other cruise-ship companies.
"After Wednesday's announcement, I was actually contacted by a Chinese cruise line that has traditionally found Sydney Harbour way too congested and way too expensive, and wants to investigate the opportunities to come into Port Kembla," Mr Sleigh told an Illawarra Women in Business (IWIB) networking lunch on Friday.
"Royal Caribbean sees Wollongong as a genuine alternative and it will continue to expand," Mr Sleigh said.
"The Newcastle experience is they went from one [cruise ship] to eight and then 15. And potentially up to 30 next year. We like to think we are looking at a similar kind of model to that and that will continue to grow as we move forward."
He said that kind of boost to economic activity was just what Australia's ninth-largest city needed.
"Tourism on the South Coast has always been largely renowned for the stunning natural assets more than the built infrastructure," Mr Sleigh said.
"If you go to a true commercial tourism city like a Queenstown or a Gold Coast, you are given reasons to put your hand in your pocket pretty much everywhere you go.
"Unfortunately, around Wollongong, there are limited opportunities to do that. We have to increase the commercial activations around the key tourism precincts."
For example, Mr Sleigh said, there were many opportunities at Mount Keira, a stunning natural asset that was under-utilised.
"You can't even get a cup of coffee up there," he said.
Mr Sleigh said this week's announcement by Royal Caribbean was a true commitment and just the catalyst the city needed.
It meant one of the largest tourism investors in the world saw Wollongong's potential as a tourism destination.
"We see this now as the opportunity to really push forward," he said.
"We have 421 days until Royal Caribbean's ship cruises into Port Kembla and we need to start creating attractions.
"We need to stop talking about the potential of Wollongong. And we need to start doing something about creating more real attractions and reasons for people to come and spend money here."
He said there were few businesses in Wollongong that were not genuinely affected by rising visitor numbers.
"I can tell you the 31 per cent increase we have seen in visitor numbers recently is going straight into retail shops in town as well," he said.
"And the events we bring to town help. When Lube Markovski owned Hairhouse Warehouse, he said the biggest weekend he had was when the CrossFit Games were in town.
"It is a great example of the impact a growth in visitor numbers is going to have on everybody."
Mr Sleigh said 721 days and a hell of a lot of work went into getting Royal Caribbean here, and what had been discovered in the process was already being noticed by other cruise line companies.
Many Wollongong residents are excited by the prospect, including IWIB director Glenda Papac, who said Radiance of the Seas was her favourite cruise ship.
She will be on it in 35 days' time and plans to again when it sails into Port Kembla.
"I can't wait to come to Wollongong and play tourist for a day," she said.
