Isle cruise market rated among best
A study commissioned by the International Council of Cruise Lines names Hawaii the fastest-growing cruise destination market in the United States.
Besides generating direct spending of $512 million in Hawaii in 2005, the cruise industry supported more than 12,000 jobs locally last year, paying $394 million in wages and salaries, according to the Arlington, Va.-based council.
Hawaii is steadily climbing in its ranking nationwide -- from No. 15 in 2003 to No. 8 in 2005 -- as measured by direct cruise industry spending. In 2006, Hawaii is expected to rank No. 6 in the nation. Florida ranked No. 1, followed by California.
CRUISE INDUSTRY IN HAWAII
2005 figures
» Direct expenditures: $512 million
» Jobs supported: 12,000
» Passengers visiting: 700,000
» Expenditure per person: $234 a day (average)
Source: International Council of Cruise Lines
|
During 2005 some 235,600 passengers embarked on cruises in Hawaii, and an estimated 700,000 visited Hawaii ports of call, accounting for about 16 percent of all U.S. port-of-call passenger visits.
Much of the Aloha State's cruise business is credited to Norwegian Cruise Line, which runs three U.S.-flagged ships on a year-round itinerary in the islands.
Norwegian's Pride of Aloha was launched in summer 2004, the Pride of America in summer 2005 and the Pride of Hawaii this summer. The Norwegian Wind offers 10-day seasonal cruises and will return to Hawaii this month.
At a panel presentation yesterday, Robert Kritzman, executive vice president and managing director for NCL's Hawaii operations, said his company's performance was "higher than anticipated" for 2005, with 2006 looking even better. The panel was organized by the Business Banking Council.
Passenger numbers are climbing on cruises to Hawaii, Kritzman said. NCL America estimates some 398,000 passengers will embark on its Hawaii cruise ships this year. By 2007, NCL projects there will be close to 500,000 Hawaii cruise passengers on its ships.
Using 2005 figures from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Kritzman said the average cruise visitor on a U.S. ship spends $234 per person per day, compared with $174 per person per day by an average visitor staying in hotels.
Some 70 percent of cruise-ship passenger shopping will be in shoreside stores not affiliated with NCL. Also, the state estimates that cruise visitors spend 9.7 days in the islands, and just over a third of that on land before and after their cruise.
"We're committed to Hawaii," said Kritzman, who estimated NCL's investment in cruise ships for the Aloha State was worth $1.5 billion. In 2004, NCL America also acquired tour bus company Polynesian Adventure Tours.
In the banking council study, 53 percent of 101 tourism-related Hawaii businesses said the cruise industry would boost their revenue. Only a third of those polled said that the time-share industry would increase their revenue.
Renato Lengi, general manager of Sea Life Park by Dolphin Discovery, says the park gets a 5 to 10 percent boost in attendance when a cruise ship arrives in Honolulu.
Nationwide, the cruise council's study says the cruise industry generated a total of $32.4 billion, supported more than 330,000 U.S. jobs and paid $13.5 billion in wages and salaries last year.