How your money makes it from the cruise ship to the local communities
We’re a nation of cruisers here in Australia and love nothing more than holidaying on the water, but have you ever wondered how or if your money makes it to the local communities when you dock for the day?
A new report by the World Bank group's International Finance Corporation looked at if Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands benefited from cruise tourism.
The study found the cruise industry contributed AUD$5.7 million to PNG. 54 per cent of that was attributed to cruise operator spending, 43 per cent generated by passengers and three per cent from cruise staff.
Of the money spent 30 per cent went directly to the government, another 30 per cent went to local tourism operators and the remainder was roughly split between souvenir sellers, retailers, food and beverage operators and transport providers.
Ann Sherry, Carnival Australia executive chairman, told The Huffington Post Australia it was rewarding to see the cruise industry helping local communities.
"We've been going to Eastern PNG now three years, and this year we will take 44,000 tourists into a region where before, there were only a few hundred," Sherry said.
"For the community, it focuses attention on the days the ships are in town because people from villages and communities will make sure they get to town with handicrafts to sell. That's a very significant opportunity where there was once no market for the materials they produce.
"We see a lot of small businesses popping up whether it's tour guides who know the history of the area, or food and drink sellers.
"Then there are more conventional changes to communities like building toilet blocks, sealed pathways and market places."
Sherry also said that Australia’s love of cruising meant there were emerging new cruise destinations, such as the Solomon Islands.
"We've had such rapid growth, at 20 per cent every year for the last decade and we're looking to continue that growth so we need new places to go, with different experiences," Sherry said.
"I think people wasn't to broaden their cruising horizons to go to places that they perhaps hadn't thought of 10 years ago.
"The Solomon Islands is one of those destinations where people can get a rich cultural experience but also a rich natural experience with amazing reefs, and unbelievably beautiful beaches.”
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