Harbour Authority celebrates 10 millionth passengers

Two couples stepped off a cruise ship this morning at Ogden Point to a little more fanfare than they probably expected. The passengers were the 10 millionth to arrive via cruise ship, and were welcomed by City of Victoria mayor Marianne Alto and other local dignitaries.

“We’ve been married for 14 years, and we came on this trip to renew our vow,” Emma Lonergan, one of the lucky passengers, said in a new release from the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. The first cruise ship passengers arrived in 1969.

“Cruise supports the region’s visitor economy and creates jobs that support Victoria’s economic recovery,” GVHA CEO Robert Lewis-Manning said. “Engineers, entrepreneurs, accountants, mechanics and others are employed due to cruise tourism in Victoria, with salaries totaling more than $40 million annually.”

The GVHA said cruise visitors and crew contribute $56 million annually to Greater Victoria’s economy, while cruise lines spend $84 million on warehousing, ship agents, repairs and maintenance, port fees and docking services.

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Lindsay Gaunt (Director of Cruise Development, GVHA); Robert Lewis-Manning (CEO, GVHA); passengers Ryan and Rebecca Fairchild; Darlene Hollstein (GM, Bay Centre & Destination Greater Victoria Board Chair); passengers Emma, Liam and Ava Lonergan; Marianne Alto (Victoria Mayor); Kevin Boag (Hotel General Manager, Queen Elizabeth, Cunard).