Cruise visitors “overwhelmingly positive”

Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said feedback from cruise ship passengers visiting Bunbury for the first time had been “overwhelmingly positive” following the arrival of theCrystal Symphony on February 7.

The cruise liner was the second ship this year to make its maiden voyage to the city, following the Azamara Journey on January 28.

“Local tour operators said the passengers were very impressed with Bunbury and what the Bunbury-Geographe region had to offer,” he said.

Mr Brennan said while Bunbury was “a paradise”, the community must come together to provide arrivals with a memorable experience to become a more attractive cruise ship destination.

“The city, businesses and community will continue to work together in ensuring they have a first-class experience,” he said.

“Word-of-mouth will always be the best form of advertising, so we need to ensure cruise ship passengers have an unforgettable experience when they arrive.”

City of Bunbury manager of tourism, events and promotions Isabell Evans said guests were particularly impressed with the Bunbury Visitors Centre welcome packs, with some visitors commenting it was “the best welcome we have had so far in the three ports we have visited in WA”.

Ms Evans said of the 750 passengers aboard the Crystal Symphony, only two bus loads chose to take tours outside the Bunbury-Geographe region, while eight buses stayed local and several private tours of Bunbury took place.

While on shore, passengers enjoyed visits to the Dolphin Discovery Centre, Bunbury Wildlife Park, the mangroves and the CBD.

“Many chose to take a guided tour of Bunbury while others used the free shuttle buses into the CBD and explored the city on foot where they enjoyed our cafes and boutique retailers,” Ms Evans said.

Cruise Bunbury acting chairman Mark Exeter estimated the combined passenger spend of both vessels to be between $250,000 to $300,000.

Mr Exeter said Cruise Bunbury would focus on offering “new and different” tours to keep visitors coming back and would also target crew member spend.

He also received feedback from businesses that many of the vouchers offered in the welcome packs had been successful in drawing visitors into stores.