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Cruise ship business goes up and down Jeanne Gagnon Northern News Services Published Monday, July 11, 2011
Colleen Dupuis, chief executive officer of Nunavut Tourism, said that while interest in the North continues to grow, "from what we understand, there will be a couple fewer boats this year." "We're getting hit now by a little bit of a trickle down effect (from the recession)," she added. Dupuis explained people normally book trips in an 18-month to two-year cycle, meaning they would have booked this summer's cruises while the world was still feeling the effects of the recent economic slowdown. On the plus side, however, Dupuis said most of the ships coming to Nunavut this summer are booked to full capacity, which they have not been in the past. That means the actual number of passengers may only be down very insignificantly. Dupuis added it's still too early to get an idea of the exact numbers, though the season has been good so far. "In addition to the cruise ships that would normally visit here, we are seeing more interest in large private yachts," she said. Some will sail through the Northwest Passage while others will travel the Baffin Island coast. Last summer, cruise ships visited 11 communities, making 34 stops. Kugluktuk and Bathurst Inlet have been added to the list while Clyde River will not be visited by a cruise ship visit this summer. Resolute suffers the biggest decline in the number of scheduled visits, with one cruise ship expected this summer compared to seven visits last year. Adventure Canada, which acquired Cruise North Expeditions in February, has organized five cruises featuring planned stops in Nunavut. Marketing director Clayton Anderson confirmed travelers are interested to go North. "I think it will be a great season this year," he said. "We've had a lot of interest, both from Canada, the U.S. and around the world. "It's definitely more interest this year than in the past couple of years, where I think the economy has had a major impact on people taking higher value trips." An Adventure Canada cruise ship, the MV Clipper Adventurer, that ran aground near Kugluktuk last year. "All the charts are triple-checked this year, that's for sure," Anderson said. "There has been definitely been more of a thorough checking of the itineraries and where we're going. "We've always been very thorough, but this time it's triple and quadruple check." Meanwhile, in the communities, reactions to the expected cruise ship visits, are mixed. Kugluktuk is expecting one ship to visit in September and, "the community is excited about it - looking forward to it," according to the hamlet's senior administrative officer, Don Leblanc. Moving east, Cambridge Bay is expecting two cruise ships this summer, fewer than the four or five they usually get, according to cruise ship co-ordinator Vicki Aitaok (though Nunavut Tourism reports three scheduled stops there this season). "Adventure Canada is not coming here - normally they do," Aitaok said. "They're going to Kugluktuk and Gjoa Haven." Aitaok said about 240 visitors are expected to come to shore, a number on par with previous years, spending about $20,000 in the community. Though she added the community also misses out on an additional $27,000 with the two other ships heading to Kugluktuk and Gjoa Haven instead. "We're certainly going to provide (passengers) with the same quality of show that we have before," she explained. "But we will lose a lot of revenue because these two particular ships (that are coming) ... they don't actually spend a whole lot of money - the ones that are missing are the ones that spend the money and they are not coming here." The result is Cambridge Bay predicts its overall tourism business to be down slightly this year. "I think we will just take it in stride as we normally do and we'll see what happens at the end of the summer," Aitaok said. "There is no point in us speculating." Further east, Gjoa Haven is expecting approximately the same number of visitors this summer as last, the hamlet's economic development officer reported. Ed Stewart said they usually organize activities such as a community walking tour and an arts and craft sale. "It does provide some economic stimulus to the community," he said. "The community certainly appreciates the visits. "The younger people in particular are pretty excited seeing large passenger ship come into town." In the Baffin region, three ships are expected to visit Cape Dorset this August, two more than last year, according the hamlet's economic development officer. But Ikkummak Ivvaluajuk said tourists typically don't spend enough time in the community, mainly visiting the print shop and two stores. "(Residents) aren't very excited about them because they don't really come into the community as much any more," she said. "They don't buy very much carvings or art work." And in Pond Inlet, even though six cruise ships are expected this summer (Nunavut Tourism reported five planned visits), that's fewer that usual. Still, economic development officer Colin Saunders said the community always looks forward to cruise ship season. "The community is taking it in stride," he said. "There is a lot of external forces that come into play with the amount of cruise ships that we get. "We're just taking it as it comes, I guess," he added. "We're hoping, perhaps, there will be a little more interest in purchasing arts and crafts and so on and so forth." The GN reported that communities can take advantage of an arts and crafts development program, as well as programs for small business support and community capacity building, to fund and co-ordinate activities - to help get ready for the tourists.
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