Carnival Australia has welcomed the Queensland Government’s decision to declare the proposed upgrade to the Port of Cairns as a significant project.
Carnival Australia Chief Executive Officer, Ann Sherry AO, said the declaration signified the importance of the upgrade to the tourism industry and Far North Queensland in particular.
“The Government’s declaration puts Cairns and the far north on track to achieve the economic benefits of cruise ship visits to the region and its many visitor attractions,” Ms Sherry said.
“The cruise industry has recorded seven consecutive years of double digit growth and is on the way to carrying one million passengers a year by 2020 contributing an estimated $3 billion annually to the national economy.
“This cruise season, 19 Carnival Australia ships will be in Australian waters carrying well over 300,000 passengers in another record breaking cruise season.”
Ms Sherry said infrastructure gaps posed the biggest risk to cruising’s continued growth as the standout success of the Australian tourism sector.
The Queensland Government’s welcome declaration of the Port of Cairns upgrade as a significant project recognised the vital importance of appropriate infrastructure investment to support industry growth and local business opportunities and jobs.
“This is the strongest signal to date that the Government wants this vital project to proceed and for it to be completed as soon as possible in line with tourism as one of four pillars of the state’s economy,” Ms Sherry said.
“Carnival Australia looks forward to working with the Queensland Government and the Federal Government to ensure progress in the Port of Cairns upgrade for the benefit of tourism in Far North Queensland.”
Follow