SHUTE Harbour welcomed its first two cruise ships this past fortnight, with approximately 6,800 passengers stepping off the ships and onto the dock at Shute Harbour Marine Terminal.
In the usual way the Whitsundays come together, we saw Whitsunday Regional Council, Whitsunday Transit and the Cruise Ship Ambassadors working together to move passengers from Shute Harbour into Airlie Beach, with great success.
Keep up-to-date with cruise ship comings and goings via our Facebook page and website.
The Cruise Ship Ambassadors have been working overtime this month, and will be for a few more weeks, with a total of 14 ships arriving in November and December.
The Whitsundays is one of the only ports to have Ambassadors on the East Coast and we’re incredibly grateful for all the hard work they put into welcoming cruise ship guests to our piece of paradise.
If you would like to join the Ambassadors, please reach out to our Information Centre on info@tourismwhitsundays.com.au.
The latest ideation of ‘Wonders of The Whitsundays’ has quietly started, as we slowly build customer awareness over the next couple of months.
By late January, we will increase marketing activity to drive visitation for February and March, traditionally quieter months.
This marketing activity started alongside the launch of our new website.
Working hand-in-hand with the campaign, the new website provides a better customer experience for booking accommodation and experiences in the Whitsundays.
As the weeks fly by, and we get closer to the school holidays, Christmas and New Year, the reality of our forecasted occupancy solidifies.
Currently, the forecast is sitting at 85 per cent occupancy for the two weeks of Christmas and New Year.
I expect this number to continue to grow and we’ll see final occupancy figures in the high 90s for that period.
The high visitation numbers we’ve seen this year, and will continue to see until after the holidays, highlight what an amazing experience all the operators and businesses are providing.
In the spirit of Christmas, the team are putting together a special ‘Merry Christmas from The Whitsundays’ video for social media use this year.
If you’re a member and would like to be involved, reach out to the team for more information on reception@tourismwhitsundays.com.au by Friday, November 25.
