Lyttelton Community Meeting Scheduled Ahead Of Cruise Season 23/24

Last summer after an 11-year hiatus, large cruise ships returned to Lyttelton Port. This was a significant milestone for Ōtautahi Christchurch, with almost 125,850 visitors docking on the new purpose-built Lyttelton terminal between October 2022 and April 2023.

As the second cruise season nears for the new terminal, the Banks Peninsula Community Board is hosting a meeting to listen to and engage with the local Lyttelton community about the impact of the cruise season and their aspirations for the season ahead. Key city agencies including Lyttelton Port Company, Environment Canterbury, ChristchurchNZ, Christchurch City Council and the NZ Cruise Association will be present and invitations will also be extended to local elected members and MBIE.

Lyn Leslie, Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board Chair says, “This meeting offers a chance to listen to the local Lyttelton community and understand their views and concerns. It’s important to hear from the wider community so we can gain a collective understanding of a range of views. We want to make sure everyone is heard.”

A range of possible solutions to some of the core issues for the Lyttelton community will be explored in the meeting including potential approaches to public transport congestion.

The meeting will be led by an independent facilitator, held at 7pm on Tuesday 8 August at The Loons (16 Canterbury Street).

Key economic findings from 22/23 season: 

During the cruise season October 2022 - March 2023, Lyttelton received a total of 73 cruise ships. This was an increase of 356% or 57 cruises when compared to the pre-covid period October-March 2019, when Lyttleton did not yet have the new berth that accommodates large cruise ships.

Visitor spending while cruise ships were in port exhibited a strong upward trend, showing a direct correlation between cruise visitation and visitor spend. Overall Electronic Card Transactions (ECT) visitor spend in Lyttelton during October-March 2023 period was $3.1m. This was an increase of 81% or $1.4m when compared to October-March 2019. This indicates a strong positive economic impact resulting from the influx of cruise passengers.

Data from January and February shows that the spending on cruise days was notably higher than on non-cruise days. On cruise days the average visitor ECT spend was $28,246 in January and $34,594 in February, while non-cruise days recorded roughly $17,735 in January and $17,732 in February respectively.

The ECT spending increased further in March 2023, with cruise days experiencing a significant average ECT spend of about $48,322, and non-cruise days seeing an average ECT spend of around $19,166.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, there are currently 86 ships scheduled for Lyttelton, compared to the 73 that docked during the October – April 2023 season.

Loren Heaphy, ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Destination and Attraction says, “Cruise is a unique sector within the visitor economy in that there are numerous agencies responsible for various aspects of the system. The volume of visitors who arrive in a destination on a cruise ship can have both positive and negative impacts for the community and the economy. We recognise this and are committed to working alongside the industry on the season ahead in a cohesive, considered and collaborative way. This community meeting is a great starting point to ensure the various agencies are mitigating the impact of cruise and enhancing positive outcomes for the Lyttelton community.”

New Zealand Cruise Association chief executive Jacqui Lloyd said the industry welcomed the opportunity to work with the community and collaborate with other agencies to ease the pressure the influx of passengers created. “The cruise industry is pleased to be included in the discussion and collaboration to ensure that all visitors are seen as good guests, are respectful of the local community and that the presence of passengers adds to the vibrancy of the city,” Lloyd said.

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