US and Canada join hands to lure more cruise ships to Great Lakes
A group of northern states and tourism agencies have formed an international task force to promote cruise ship tourism in the Great Lakes region.
Overseen by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers association, the states of Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, Canadian provinces and port authorities are teaming up to lure more cruise ships to the Great Lakes.
A campaign called ‘Cruise the Great Lakes’ hopes to boost cruise traffic and ensure port cities have the infrastructure needed for the expected increase in cruise passengers.
"Cruising on the Great Lakes is poised for major growth in the coming years, with significant economic benefits for the entire region. In 2018, our waterways saw nearly 100,000 port visits by passengers. This initiative aims to increase those numbers, which in turn, increases the amount of economic impact," said Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.
A news conference announcing the campaign took place with Victory Cruise Line’s CEO chairman and founder Bruce Nierenberg who pledged to increase itineraries next year.
"We’re going to be visiting all five lakes. As a matter of fact, we’re starting a cruise schedule into Lake Superior in 2019 on Victory that’s going to feature Thunder Bay and Duluth," Nierenberg said.
He is targeting the boomer market.
"People of 55-plus, that is the market that’s the fastest growing, and it’s the largest segment now of vacationers They don’t have to take long journeys across the Atlantic or Pacific to go someplace they haven’t been."
"There is definitely a renewed interest in the unique offerings of Lake Superior primarily because there has been such significant growth and interest in Great Lakes cruising overall," said Visit CEO Duluth Tanski.
"We’ll really see things start to ramp up in 2020. There’s been interest from two additional cruise lines."
Tanski said the city is planning to open a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol office to ease the flow of cruise passengers from Canada.
During the 2018 season eight ships sailed in the region from Victory, Blount Small Ship Adventures and Pearl Seas Cruises.
The coalition also comprises the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Tourism Thunder Bay, Visit Detroit and Great Lake port authorities.
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