Bad weather helps Bay score cruise liner stopover

NELSON Mandela Bay recently won the captivation of a very large group of tourists who had no idea they were headed for the city.  Passengers on board the MSC Sinfonia believed they were en route for Maputo and the Portuguese Islands for an idyllic cruise when Cyclone Irena set their course astray and the ship was forced to dock in the Port Elizabeth Harbour.

The city made no bones about the surprise tourism booster and welcomed the 1800 passengers to Nelson Mandela Bay with open arms. Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism set up a gazebo and information desk and worked with the Nelson Mandela Bay Tour Guides Association to ensure the tourists had all the promotional material they needed to guarantee a perfect day in the city.

Local Tourism Call Centre Officer, Terry Almirall said NMBT’s work made a “wonderful impact” by offering exceptional friendly service.

“The passengers needed lots of smiles as they were redirected from their original destination, Portuguese Island – and NMBT came out in full force to assist them and give them a Friendly City welcome.”

Local accredited tour guide, Tracey Andrews said: “The passengers came off the ship and went straight to the info area. Thank you Terry and Mike for being such great ambassadors. The vast majority of passengers said to me, at the end of the day, that they had a super day and they thought the city was wonderful. The crew members came back in high spirits and said Port Elizabeth is cool – much better than Maputo. I really felt really chuffed that our city had shone.”

The tourists were offered two coaches – one to the Addo Elephant National Park and one to Kragga Kamma Game Reserve – and an additional hop-on hop-off shuttle service stopping at: Govan Mbeki street, Donkin Reserve, Stanley Street, Shark Rock Pier and The Boardwalk.

Cheryl Witte, NMBT Information Services Manager commented that today, cruise travel is one of the fastest growing sectors of the global tourism industry and that South Africa has the potential to be positioned as a globally competitive cruise liner destination. 

According to a study undertaken by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in November 2009 on South African Cruise Tourism, the international cruise industry had experienced extraordinary growth over the last three decades, expanded from 1.4-million passengers in 1980 to an estimated 15.4-million passengers in 2009. “Nelson Mandela Bay is one of the few ports who could offer a game viewing experience within an hour drive from the harbour and could position that factor as a unique selling point when packaging tours.”
 
The Sinfonia is set for a planned return to the city this time, on March 28 when it will once again bring between 1800 and 2000 tourists to the city.