86 per cent increase in scheduled port calls of cruise ships for 1999 Charles Furey, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Recreation, announced today that there is an 86 per cent increase in the scheduled port calls of cruise ships to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1999. "This year, 15 cruise ships will visit the province making 65 port calls around Newfoundland and Labrador, up from 10 ships making 35 port calls in 1998. Approximately 15,000 tourists will visit the province representing a fantastic tourism opportunity," said Furey. "The people on these cruise ships are a captured market with a projected economic impact of $4.4 million for the provincial economy." Minister Furey credits the Cruiseship Authority of Newfoundland and Labrador (CANAL), Mayor Andy Wells of the City of St. John's, and private sector partners such as Blue Peter Steamships Ltd. for this dramatic increase in scheduled port calls. "This remarkable increase is a direct result of the province's establishment of CANAL, a public-private partnership set up to pursue the lucrative cruise ship industry, combined with the aggressive marketing of our province's tourism product by people like Andy Wells and other stakeholders from throughout the province who are committed to expediting the goals of CANAL." The 1999 Port Calls include:
Furey added: "It's now up to the private sector and the ports of call throughout the province to work together within the tourism industry to deliver first-class service and quality experiences to the passengers of these international cruise ships, thus ensuring a continued growth in this sector." CANAL was established in June of 1998 as a result of 50/50 funding agreement between public-private partners who brought key stakeholders together from throughout the province with a mandate to coordinate the development and operations of a cruiseship tourism industry within the province. Media contact: Tara Laing, Communications, (709) 729-0928. 1999 05 27 9:45 a.m. |
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