Premier and Minister for Tourism, Jeremy Rockliff has marked the opening of Tasmania's cruise ship season with the inaugural visit of the Crown Princess by presenting Captain Christopher Lye and his crew with a plaque at the Hobart port.
The cruise line, which carries up to 3600 passengers and 1200 crew, is set to bring three ships to the State and make a total of 18 port calls this season.
"Cruise passengers play a significant role in Tasmania's tourism economy, with more than 260,000 passengers and nearly 10,000 crew to visit Tasmania between October and May," Premier Rockliff said.
"This is a fantastic boost for our tourism and hospitality sector, with 141 port calls scheduled across Hobart, Burnie, Port Arthur, Coles Bay, Bell Bay, and King Island.
"The 2023-24 cruise season injected about $144 million into the Tasmanian economy, and we are looking forward to another fantastic season."
The Government is also expanding a $500,000 Hospitality Grant Program, which is part of a suite of initiatives in the 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future to sustainably grow the visitor economy.
"Under the expanded program, grants of up to $5000 will be available to eligible hospitality businesses to invest in activities that will attract visitors to their regions, assist in business growth, events, innovation, or diversification," Premier Rockliff said.
"We acknowledge the significant role hospitality businesses play in our visitor economy, as well as the vibrancy of our communities, and that's why we are backing them."
