Tansy Tompkins, chair of the association, says cruise is now being taken far more seriously across government, more deliberately across the tourism system and more strategically by the industry itself than at any point since the downturn began. However, she notes that the challenge has not passed.
‘New Zealand cruise visitation remains well below where it needs to be.
The 2027/28 outlook remains difficult and 2028/29 may show only modest improvement.
‘While there has been genuine progress, we must remain honest about where the industry stands.
The (industry strategy) Horizon Two states clearly that New Zealand cruise visitation is down 40% in a globally growing sector, with a further decline forecast for 2026/27.
The Tourism Policy Statement is equally direct, noting that in 2025/26 New Zealand cruise visitation was just over half pre-pandemic level.’ Tompkins says the focus now is to convert stronger relationships, policy recognition and practical progress into deployment.
‘Our first priority is to influence deployment decisions for 2028/29 and beyond through direct engagement with cruise line decision makers.
‘Our second is to lock in long-term biosecurity certainty. Our third priority is to improve cost competitiveness and regulatory predictability.’
The association also prioritises strengthening New Zealand’s cruise reputation through coordinated offshore engagement with cruise lines, Tourism New Zealand, ports and regional partners.
Tompkins also emphasised the importance of growing the value of cruise for regions and communities.
‘This means improving regional readiness and shore experiences, while communicating the benefits cruise brings to local jobs, businesses, visitor dispersal and regional growth.
The NZCA event in Auckland continues through the day with a panel discussion on ‘the reality of cruise deployment’, keynote addresses on future fuels, port development, global cruise outlooks and more. See tomorrow’s TRAVELinc Memo for additional coverage and photos.
