WOLLONGONG ADVERTISER
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As the region's traditional industries cop a battering, a sea of opportunity has opened with the news a passenger cruise ship will make Wollongong a regular port of call.
The Royal Caribbean's mega liner will bring in 2400 guests each time it docks at Port Kembla for day trips, injecting $890,000 into the local economy.
In a major coup for the region and after three long years of negotiations, the cruise company confirmed last week that the 293-metre-long mega liner Radiance of the Seas would include Port Kembla in its seven-night East Coast and Tasmanian cruise from October 2016.
Helping keep the region afloat as steel and coal industries struggle to survive, the cruise line's regional vice-president Gavin Smith committed to an ongoing relationship with his company and the Illawarra.
"I'm thrilled to announce we will be bringing one of the largest and most feature-packed mega liners in Australian waters to the South Coast of NSW, when Port Kembla becomes the newest destination for Radiance of the Seas," Mr Smith said.
"As the appetite for cruising continues to grow, expanding our offering for our many international and domestic guests is the key to our continued success.
"Including Port Kembla on our itineraries will provide our guests the opportunity to sample all that Wollongong and the South Coast has to offer. At the same time, it will give us the chance to investigate Port Kembla as an alternative home port, as an overflow to congestion in Sydney Harbour."
The ship will spend a day in port, allowing tourists from Australia and the world to explore the Illawarra's beaches, city, towns and attractions through day trips, courtesy buses and planned activities.
Destination Wollongong board member Leigh Colacino, who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to secure the deal, said he was excited to announce that Royal Caribbean ships will soon become a regular sight at Port Kembla.
"And I will be standing dockside to welcome the Radiance of the Seas when she makes her first visit to Wollongong," he said.
"This is a wonderful outcome for the Illawarra and regional tourism, but also makes business sense for Royal Caribbean to make use of one of the most capable ports on the east coast of Australia."
Cr Colacino said Royal Caribbean understands the value of Port Kembla and Wollongong for tourism with its proximity to the Sydney CBD and airport, and the varied attractions of the region "whether they are the vibrant nightlife, shopping and dining precincts, the beaches, adventure activities, the wineries of the South Coast and Southern Highlands or simply the outstanding natural attraction of the Illawarra escarpment".
Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh said the agreement with Royal Caribbean was an amazing opportunity for the Illawarra and there was a need to create more tourism attractions to make the most of it.
Mr Sleigh said the announcement was already attracting attention from other cruise-ship companies.
"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 said.
"Royal Caribbean sees Wollongong as a genuine alternative and it will continue to expand - the Newcastle experience is they went from one [cruise ship] to eight and then 15."