A peak Tasmanian tourism body is calling for a five-year ban on large ships docking in the Apple Isle.
“We don’t believe Tasmania is suitable for these new generation mega-ships” Daniel Leesong, the chairperson of the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania (TICT), said.
The organisation wants to restrict the number of tourists arriving on cruise ships every day.
With close to 5,000 passengers aboard, these ships are too big for the ports they are docking at, he said at the 2022 Tasmanian Tourism Conference.
He believes there are enough small and medium cruise ships for the state to build a vibrant cruise destination around.
“We want sensible, managed boundaries around the number of cruise ship passengers that are in Tasmania each day,” Mr Leesong added.
He had confidence that the new restrictions, which include a fee for cruise ships, would allow the Tasmanian government to maintain protected areas over the next year.
The TICT is calling for:
- A five-year moratorium on ‘Mega Cruise Ships’ (those ships with around 5,000 passengers and more) visiting Tasmanian ports.
- Agreement on a daily cap on the maximum number of cruise ship passengers visiting Tasmanian ports.
- That a contemporary environmental regulatory framework, including a new fee structure, for all shipping visiting Tasmania’s protected areas and small communities, be developed within the next 12-months.
Tasmanian ports are expected to welcome 150 cruise ships during the 2022-23 season, including P&O, Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean ships.
The Tourism Industry Council Tasmania also passed a resolution which seeks to put a restriction on the number of people arriving on cruise ships per day.
“TICT supports the following outcomes from the Tasmanian Government’s policy framework for the future of Tasmania as a cruise destination,” the resolution said.
