Cruise shipping is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and Wollongong has the opportunity to tap into the rapidly expanding market by getting its first visit right in October.
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So much potential is seen in the city as both a destination and potential home port that the man responsible for making the first cruise ship visit happen is coming to talk about the reasons why, what will happen in October and what might follow.
Gavin Smith is speaking at an Illawarra Women in Business lunch at the Lagoon Restaurant on July 22 after being promoted to an international senior vice president’s position and moving to London. Mr Smith wants the first three visits by Royal Caribbean to be so successful that the cruise line can consider scheduling more. The benefits to the whole Illawarra economy from such a decision would be significant.
When councillor Leigh Colacino knocked on Mr Smith’s door four years ago no cruise line had considered Wollongong a port of call. But after discussion between the two and Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh the biggest cruise line with some of the largest ships in the world is coming. And it is considering what next? For Mr Sleigh it is what does that mean for existing operators and new opportunities?
“As senior vice president of Royal Caribbean, Gavin Smith is one of the most respected and influential leaders in the global tourism industry. This is an amazing opportunity to hear him speak about his vision for the cruise sector and more importantly how he sees Wollongong fitting into that vision. The cruise sector in Australia is currently growing by 20 per cent per annum and there is no capacity left in Sydney Harbour to cater for this growth. There is no doubt that Royal Caribbean, and other cruise lines who bring in mega liners, need an alternative deep-water port with proximity to Sydney in order to continue this growth. Wollongong is perfectly positioned to take up this opportunity. When Radiance of the Seas makes her maiden voyage into Port Kembla on October 30..we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to show the world that Wollongong has the passion and the unique visitor experiences to make it a major player in this growing sector of the visitor economy,” Mr Sleigh said.
IWIB director Glenda Papac thinks Mr Smith is still coming after being promoted to London because he sees so much potential in Wollongong. Registrations for the IWIB and Destination Wollongong lunch at bookwww.iwib.com.au/events.
