Bloated Swine Palace is the first fast tracked program – how fitting for NZ?

Mayday call for New Zealand’s sinking cruise industry

In what has been called a devastating blow to our tourism industry, the number of cruise ships docking in our ports is declining rapidly, and industry insiders worry about the economic impact on the entire country.

An industry leader and a travel journalist tell The Detail that the country risks being left behind as the rest of the world embraces a thriving cruise sector, post-Covid.

Globally, they say, cruising is on the rise, ports are bustling, and passengers are happily splashing their cash.

But here? A growing number of ships are sailing right past us.

The reason they aren’t coming here is because we force them to be far more environmental when they come into our Ports and because we appropriately charge them.

The industry wants cheaper Port deals and lower environmental standards.

I say they can go fuck themselves.

Doesn’t it really sum up where NZ is right now that extending the bloated swine palace cruise ship wharf to empower hyper tourism is one of the first things fast tracked?

How on earth will upgrading the wharf be a real solution to Auckland’s economic woes?

Dumping a whole host of rich Cruise Ship tourists into a downtown gridlocked by construction and strewn with the homeless is going to benefit some of the luxury shops at the bottom of Queen street but that’s it!

Where’s the meaningful growth we were promised?

Meanwhile, last week a new born infant died in Albert Park in the centre of Auckland.

This is 2025 – shouldn’t we collectively be ashamed that happened?

 

Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.