johnpondworld.com

Tens of thousands of holidaymakers will be welcomed to Sydney by a fleet of friendly volunteer ambassadors during Sydney’s busiest ever cruise ship season between now and April 2013.

The City of Sydney’s welcoming committee, organised in partnership with Destination NSW, includes volunteers who set the benchmark for greeting international tourists during the Sydney Olympics and Paralympics.   The ambassadors will provide expert advice about the city’s highlights and ensure first impressions of  Sydney are memorable for the cruise ship visitors who inject around $1.1 billion into the local economy.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the tourism ambassador program was an essential part of the booming cruise ship season that will see a record 265 international and domestic ship visits Sydney between now and April.  “The cruise ship and tourism industry provides an important boost to our local economy. Our ambassadors ensure that when visitors arrive in Sydney, they are greeted by a friendly face and a depth of local knowledge so that they can get the most out of their visit.

Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia, welcomed the volunteers and said they will play an important role in greeting this year’s record 265 international and domestic cruise ship visits – up from 198 last season. If this growth continues, by 2020 nearly one million cruise passengers will be visiting Sydney each year.

“Volunteers save the country millions of work hours and billions of dollars. I’m glad to be part of that and gain tremendous satisfaction from it. And it’s good for the economy.”  After a trial last year, the successful program has now been made permanent and has expanded from the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay to also include Barangaroo.