Drop Projected for 2010, Disney Coming in 2011
VANCOUVER
,
Oct. 12
/CNW/ - When Celebrity Cruises' Mercury casts off from her berth at
Canada
Place today, she will be the last cruise ship to call
Vancouver
in 2009, marking the end of a strong cruise season for Canada's largest port.
Beginning with the arrival of the Balmoral on
April 24th
, the 2009 cruise season saw 37 cruise ships visiting
Vancouver
, making a total of 257 calls and bringing approximately 897,000 passengers to the city through the
Canada
Place and Ballantyne cruise terminals. This represents a 4.5 per cent increase from 2008, which runs contrary to the downturn experienced in other areas of the tourism industry.
In contrast to 2009, Port Metro
Vancouver
is projecting a 30 per cent decline in cruise passenger volumes for 2010. Most of the decline can be attributed to ships leaving the Alaska market as a result of the unfavourable business and taxation climate in the market.
"We are confident that
Vancouver
continues to offer a world-class experience to cruise passengers and that will help us as we work to rebuild business lost during this challenging time," said
Robin Silvester
, President and CEO of Port Metro
Vancouver
.
While the forecast for 2010 is not optimistic, Port Metro
Vancouver
will be welcoming a new player to the market in 2011, when Disney cruises begins sailing from
Vancouver
. Disney will offer 18 sailings from the port, bringing an additional 100,000 passengers to
Vancouver
.
A highlight of the 2009 season was the commissioning of cruise ship shore power at the
Canada
Place cruise terminal. This significant environmental initiative, which enables shore power-equipped ships to shut down their diesel engines and connect to the shore-based electrical grid while docked, is the first installation of this type in
Canada
, and only the third in the world. Fourteen connections were made this season, and next year, in its first full year of operation, 57 shore power equipped calls are planned, reducing greenhouse gas carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 3,000 tonnes.
Another significant development in 2009 was the opening of the new
Canada
Line rapid rail service to
Vancouver
International Airport. This further broadens the range of transportation options available to cruise passengers traveling to and from the
Canada
Place cruise terminal.
Port Metro
Vancouver
is Canada's largest and North America's most diversified port, trading
$75 billion
in goods with more than 130 trading economies annually. Each cruise ship that docks in
Vancouver
contributes approximately
$2 million
to the local economy.
For further information: Duncan Wilson, Director, Communications and Government Affairs, Port Metro Vancouver, Telephone: (604) 665-9067, Cellular: (778) 231-6991, Email: [email protected]; Or Michael Smithbower, Media/Communications Coordinator, Port Metro Vancouver, Telephone: (604) 665-9281, Cellular: (778) 233-2129, Email: [email protected]
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