October 13, 2015
Waka welcome in mayoral vision
Auckland mayor Len Brown says getting an extra 50 cruise ships into the city is a reminder of the potential value of tourism to the region.
The cruise ship season has started, and the mayor says it means jobs and also opportunities for cultural tourism.
The council is encouraging greetings at the gate, marae visits, walks on the city’s maunga and eventually some activity on the water.
"One of my visions is that one day we will have waka going out as they used to to welcome the cruise ships coming in and give them an outstanding and unique cultural experience that relates to the original people of the land, the tangata whenua, and the importance of the tangata whenua cultural experience and tradition to the way we promote our tourist product," he says.
Len Brown says 50 extra cruise ships means extra spending in the region of between $250 million and $500 million.
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