The cruise industry of Canada is truly booming. It is expected to lure in a record number of cruise travellers to the Port of Halifax to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations of Canada.
A spokesperson of the Halifax Port Authority named Lane Farguson said that 179 cruise ships carrying as much as 2,75,000 passengers would reach Halifax in the year 2017. In an interview he said that this season, this region would be welcoming the highest number of vessels and therefore the highest number of cruise passengers too.
Last year, the Port of Halifax was a witness to a 7.2% increase in its cruise business.
This is because more than 238,000 passengers had called on the Halifax that was aboard 136 vessels. In the year 2017, the rate of growth has been anticipated to be twice as much. There would be a 15.4% jump in the passenger numbers and also a 31.5% rise in the number of cruise ships.
The Baby Boomer generation whose members are beginning to retire now are known to trigger the growth of this sector.
Also, it is anticipated that many majestic cruise ships would be calling to 11 ports in Nova Scotia from the latter part of June to mid-August in order to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada. Those ships would be in Halifax from 29th June to 1st August.
Farguson said that the increasing number of cruise ship travellers to Halifax is a testament to the tourism attractions of Nova Scotia.
He added that Halifax is a very cruise-friendly destination.
Dennis Campbell, the chief executive of Amabbatours Gray Line agrees to this viewpoint.
But then, the boom in the cruise industry goes much beyond the borders of Halifax or even Nova Scotia.
The world’s biggest cruise industry trade association that is the Cruise Lines International Association has reported in the 2017 State of the Industry report that towards the end of 2015, there has been a great demand for cruising sector.
The association has certified that travel agents and 80% of them are looking forward to increased sales in 2017.
The association further states that the number of people enjoying cruises would grow by 4.5% this year and reach 25.3 million people. The Halifax Port Authority has started undertaking its initial phase of preparations for its new five-year master plan.
