Halifax Receives "Best Port Welcome" Award
March 19, 2002
Halifax, NS - Halifax received "Best Port Welcome" award at an event during the Miami Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention. Halifax earned honours in the port category for the Rest of the World region. "Halifax, Nova Scotia's capital ... claim the Best Port Welcome for which Canadians are renown..." states Dream World Cruise Destinations. The UK-based cruise magazine carries out an annual survey of ports and destinations with distinction given to ports, terminals and destinations, in each of four regions, Caribbean, Mediterranean, North Europe and Rest of the World.
"Economic spin-off from the cruise ship business at the Port of Halifax is considerable - passenger spending shore side averages $95 per person and will contribute more than $16 million to the local economy in 2002," stated Patricia McDermott, Vice President, Marketing at the Halifax Port Authority. "Ensuring a proper welcome is an important contributor in encouraging our cruise guests to get off the ship during their port call." Halifax Port Authority is pleased to be a major sponsor, along with the Province of Nova Scotia and Halifax Regional Municipality, of the Cruise Ship Welcome Program. Cruise is an important and growing component of Port business and is the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry.
The Halifax Cruise Welcome Programme greets passengers and crew as they arrive in Halifax. The Cruise Welcome programme in Halifax is performed by the Halifax Citadel Regimental Association, a non-profit charitable society whose main purpose is to deliver the living history programme at the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada. Upon arrival the ship is greeted with a traditional welcome by uniformed Bagpipers and Drummers from the 78th Highlanders, along with a special greeting from the Town Crier. Upon departure, the passengers and crew receive a farewell sendoff from the Pipers. The Welcome Programme provides a great opportunity to create a positive first impression of Halifax while offering a sense of arrival, warmth and hospitality. The Welcome Programme is administered and funded by the Halifax Cruise Stakeholders Committee.
-30-
About the Halifax Cruise Stakeholders Committee - In 2000, key industry partners formed the Halifax Cruise Stakeholders Committee to fund and manage the Welcome Programme and other issues facing the cruise market in Halifax. The Halifax Cruise Stakeholders Committee includes:
- Halifax Port Authority
- Casino Nova Scotia
- Metro Transit
- Halifax Tourism and Culture
- Parks Canada
- NovaScotian Crystal
- Tourism Nova Scotia
- Pier 21 Society
- Atlantic Cruise Ship Services
- Island Beach Company
- Atlantic Tours Gray Line
- Contours Limited
- DRL Vacations Ltd.
