They’re preparing for another banner cruise season at the Port of Sydney.
The island is set to welcome a record number of ships this tourism season and historic Louisbourg is about to reap some of the biggest benefits.
“It's another record-breaking year at the Port of Sydney,” said Christina Lamey, the cruise marketing manager for the port. “We're going to have 117 ships calling. That's a combination of Sydney and Louisbourg.”
After a successful test run last year, ships will continue to dock in Louisbourg.
The first is on Thursday and the idea is that once passengers are tendered in, they'll pretty much walk right into the historic fortress.
“More ships mean a better bottom line for sure,” said Ardon Mofford a restaurant owner and chef.
At Mofford’s restaurant on Sydney's waterfront, they're preparing for big business.
“We do 70 per cent of our revenue in five months,” Mofford said. “And three of those months are really strong cruise ship seasons which help us out a lot.”
That’s a benefit for the entire downtown core.
“They're always coming in with shopping bags, so they're in other places as well,” said Mofford. “They're buying, they're spending money, and it's outside money, which is great for us.”
And while there is plenty of excitement for this year's cruise season, there is room for even more growth when that long-awaited second cruise ship berth is finally built.
“That could mean many, or several … 5,000 to 6,000 passenger days in the city,” Lamey said.
Today's dredging is part of the first phase and once the $21 million project is complete, stakeholders say the sky is the limit for an industry already growing each and every year.
“As the cruise industry grows globally, Sydney will continue to be a port of call on the Canada-New England circuit,” said Lamey. “And Louisbourg, I think, will continue to grow as a niche port.”
This busy season will last until the final ship sails off into the sunset in early November.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.
