Bay of Fundy Popular Cruise Destination

Almost 300,000 passengers and crew will visit the city this year generating $30 million in direct expenditures, the Saint John Port Authority announced Tuesday.

Andrew Dixon, vice-president of marketing and development for the port authority, delivered the data in a stakeholders meeting on the future of the industry. He was joined by more than 100 business leaders, members of the tourism industry and representatives of the provincial and federal governments.

Dixon said Saint John is fast becoming the most popular destination for cruise ships in Atlantic Canada and currently ranks fourth among the most visited ports in the country. "We get about 80 per cent of the overall volume that Halifax receives in a year," he said.

Of the Eastern Canada ports, Saint John is consistently seeing ships with the highest number of passengers.

Passengers and the ship's crew spend money in town and boost the local economy.

More than half of the vessels visiting Saint John will come through the port in the months of September and October on fall foliage visits, Dixon said. A lack of hurricanes makes New Brunswick an attractive autumn stop.

Ross Jefferson, executive director of Saint John Destination Marketing Inc., said as the baby boom generation reaches retirement the popularity of cruise tourism will explode.

He said beyond the economics cruise lines have done a lot to promote the Fundy region as a visitor destination.

A recent survey found that 96 per cent visitors would like to return to New Brunswick.

"If the one million cruise tourists from New England go home and tell ten people about their experience that's a lot of word of mouth promotion," Jefferson said.

In addition the cruise industry has heavily endorsed the Bay of Fundy area in brochures and advertising campaigns distributed all over the world, he said.

According to the 2006 census data one in 10 people in the Bay of Fundy region is employed by tourism.

That's more than fishing, mining and agriculture combined, Jefferson said.

But Al Soppitt, president of the Saint John Port Authority, said as tourism grows the port also needs to grow. The trend in cruise vessels is toward bigger ships and in order for them to dock safely infrastructure updates are needed.

The port authority is calling for a total investment of $18.6 million, half of which would be supplied by the port. Soppitt said the port is asking for $4.6 million each from the provincial and federal government.

The proposed renovations would allow two ships of more than 300 metres to dock during the high traffic days, he said.

Both Puglsey C and Long Wharf terminals need increased berthing capacity, he said, adding a new overhead walkway and extended gangway system is planned for Puglesy C.

Right now strong currents prevent longer vessels from docking, he said.

Patrick Riley, business agent for the International Longshoremen's Association local 273, said the priority should not be only focused on the cruise sector.

"We need to balance the working port and cruise business," he said.

"We are not in favour of the proposed renovations. There are too many other priorities."

Riley said the west side piers are falling into the harbour and new potash sheds are needed. He said the longshoreman should have been included in the discussions of future upgrades but so far have been excluded.

Story by: Kate Braydon

The Saint John Telegraph-Journal

August 11, 2010