Vancouver can expect more than 800,000 cruise ship passengers to pass through the city’s port this season, but right now it’s the travel agents and cruise line operators who are making a port call.
Vancouver is hosting 1,700 travel agents and cruise line representatives from around the world for the Cruise3sixty international conference this week.
It is the second time Vancouver has hosted the conference, which was first held here in 2010. The conference is typically hosted in Fort Lauderdale. Vancouver is the only other city to host it.
The conference was organized locally by the Pacific Rim Cruise Association, a consortium that includes Tourism Vancouver, Destination BC, Port Metro Vancouver and the Vancouver Airport Authority.
“We're thrilled that Cruise3sixty has returned to Vancouver, a decision that showcases our city’s international reputation as a premiere home port and travel destination,” Dayna Miller, director of travel trade sales for Tourism Vancouver.
“Cruise3sixty is the largest cruise-focused travel agent conference in North America, attracting industry professionals from across the U.S., Canada and internationally,” said Greg Wirtz, president of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) North West and Canada.
“Vancouver’s spectacular natural beauty and cosmopolitan surroundings are a great complement to this conference, reinforcing the value, desirability and affordability of the cruise vacation experience.”
A passenger survey commissioned the by Pacific Rim Cruise Association last year concluded the following:
- most cruise passengers arrived in Vancouver by air, with 87% using YVR as their primary arrival airport;
- 57% of cruise passengers arrived from the U.S., 25% from Canada and 18% from overseas;
- cruise vacations typically lasted 12.9 nights, 5.5 of which were spent off the ship;
- cruise passengers spent an average of $589 per party on accommodation, food and beverage, shopping and sightseeing;
- eight out of 10 passengers spent time in Vancouver either before or after their cruise, with 66% staying an average of 2.5 nights;
- cruise passengers generated approximately 257,000 to 283,000 hotel room nights in Vancouver.
An estimated 820,000 cruise passengers on 236 calls are expected to pass through Vancouver’s port this season.
