Vancouver cruise ship passenger volumes up in 2017
Posted December 16, 2017 8:03 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s been another busy –and profitable– cruise ship year in Vancouver.
With the last cruise ship of 2017 set to sail from the city this afternoon, the Port of Vancouver reports passenger volumes are up compared to last year.
So far this year, close to 843,000 visitors have come through on 236 ships.
“As a top global destination, Vancouver continues to attract a wide spectrum of cruise lines and passengers from around the world and has increasingly become the home port of choice for Alaska-bound cruises,” said Peter Xotta, vice president of planning and operations at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in a release.
Staff with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority say that’s up two per cent from 2016 and each cruise is worth an estimated $3 million to the local economy.
Last year, the cruise industry contributed around $840 million to the national GDP. It created thousands of jobs across the country, generating more than $500 million in wages.
Today’s 4:30 p.m. departure of the Star Princess on a voyage to Los Angeles marks 31 years of vessels leaving the Canada Place terminal.
The same ship was the first to kick off the 2017 season and it’s made 17 stops in Vancouver this year.
The Star Princess also spent time getting upgrades at the BC-based Seaspan Shipyards.
The 2018 cruise ship season kicks off April 10th.
