MSC Orchestra arrival ringing in restart of cruise liner tourism since coronavirus outbreak – NMBM

The arrival
of the MSC Orchestra cruise ship from Durban at the Gqeberha Harbour this
morning symbolises the revival of the cruise liner tourism industry that
generated more than R30 million before the coronavirus pandemic ground the
industry to a halt.

The rhythm
of the drums and the inspired traditional dancing accompanied hopeful messages
from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Transnet and MSC Cruises that the
docking will be a first of many other cruise ships to arrive during the
2021/2022 season.

Executive
Mayor Eugene Johnson welcomed the passengers and crew. She encouraged them to
explore the excellent amenities Nelson Mandela Bay has to offer.

“We are
encouraged by today’s event and will be strengthening our existing relationship
with Transnet with regular engagements to generate more opportunities like this
for our city. Although the fight against the coronavirus pandemic is far from
over, the first signs of normality are encouraging.

“We have an
Economic Recovery Framework in place to regain our footing after the economic
meltdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak basically derailed our tourism during
2020 and 2021. We are geared to face the hard work head-on to bring investments
and opportunities back to our city,” Mayor Johnson said.

During the
2018/19 season, more than R30 million was spent by the passengers and crew
members of about twenty cruise liners visiting Nelson Mandela Bay.

Member of
the Mayoral Committee for Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture
Mkhuseli Jack said plans are afoot to address tourism infrastructure issues by
a cross-section of municipal departments to improve visitor experiences.

“We have a
lot to offer international and local visitors. If the infrastructure is up to
scratch, we will have more return visits and simultaneously greater
investments,” MMC Jack said.

The MSC
Orchestra left the Durban Harbour on 9 January en route to Cape Town next. The
same vessel will be returning to Gqeberha Harbour (Gqeberha) twice more
this month.

Mr David
Goliath, Acting Port Manager, said the Transnet Ports Authority envisages the
Gqeberha Harbour becoming a more recreational area to complement its
operational successes.

Prior to the
coronavirus outbreak, the Nelson Mandela Bay Cruise Ship Steering Committee
developed the Nelson Mandela Cruise Strategy. It was sculpted to enable a
focused vision and direction in the race to become a destination of choice for
cruise liners by growing the number of seasonal cruise line visits to Nelson
Mandela Bay.

#13;

Issued on behalf of the Nelson Mandela Bay
Municipality by Media Management Officer Kupido Baron (082 780 2726 / 041 506
1500 / kbaron@mandelametro.gov.za/ @kupidobaron).