NEWLY reappointed Royal Caribbean MD for Asia-Pacific, Gavin Smith (TD 08 Oct) has confirmed the company will continue to work on a Port Botany solution to Sydney’s cruise capacity crisis.
Speaking to TD yesterday during an official launch function for the Royal Caribbean 2019/20 Australasian season, Smith reiterated the importance of another terminal east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
“It’s simple – we need another pier if we are to keep growing the cruise industry,” he said.
Smith is no stranger to the fight for more Sydney capacity, having previously led the charge when he was head of CLIA Australasia (TD 09 Dec 2010), prior to his more recent appointment as Royal Caribbean’s London-based Senior VP of International.
It’s understood a very senior Royal Caribbean executive will be in Australia next week to discuss options for additional berthing with authorities in NSW.
Opening the 2020 cruise season for RCI, Smith highlighted the strength of the local market, with 250,000 guests to cruise here aboard five Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara ships over the coming months.
Smith noted that the key challenge for the industry is to attract new cruisers to the market – more in tomorrow’s Cruise Weekly – cruiseweekly.com.au.
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Source: traveldaily