Cruise ships return to Victoria along with direct international flights

The return of cruise ships and increased direct international flights to Victoria is set to give the state a major tourism boost.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos recently visited Station Pier in Port Melbourne to welcome 2,500 tourists aboard the Coral Princess – the first major cruise ship with passengers to dock in Melbourne in more than two years.

More cruise ships are scheduled to visit from late October through April next year, including Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth which will dock in Melbourne from mid-November.

In 2019, Victoria’s cruise industry employed more than 1,000 people full time and contributed $353 million to the state’s economy, bringing in more than 300,000 visitors to our state.

Station Pier, located on the doorstep of Melbourne’s CBD, will continue to be Victoria’s premier cruise ship destination, while Geelong, Portland and Phillip Island will also be active regional ports for cruises and are set to begin operations in early December.

President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia Marguerite Fitzgerald enthused “we are so excited to welcome the first cruise ship to arrive in Victoria since the pandemic begun. We hope to see many more in the future.”

Representing another show of strength in Victoria’s growing tourism industry, United Airlines is increasing direct services to Melbourne and will offer daily flights from both San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The popular Melbourne-San Francisco route will commence daily flights this year from 28th October, increasing passenger capacity between Victoria and the United States, while Melbourne-Los Angeles will resume on 28th October and increase to daily flights on 1st December.

Investment from the State Government has ensured the Victorian tourism industry is primed to welcome international tourism, with new connections delivering more visitors to destinations across the state.

Minister Dimopoulos notes “Australia remains high on the list for many US travellers and new connections direct to Victoria mean that millions of visitors will start their trip down under right here – boosting tourism and supporting local jobs and businesses.”

Image:Credit: Visit Victoria/ Barton van Laar