The arrival of the first cruise ship to Suva after two years, was a light in the tunnel for handicraft vendors.
Handicraft Vendors Association president, Mahen Singh said, the vendors were elated on Saurday when the ship arrived.
“By selling our products, the Fijian artifacts, kava bowls, throwing clubs, seashell make jewelry, baskets and tapa cloths to the tourists, we are promoting the Fijian culture and customs.
“We make a lot of sales when the tourists from cruise ships visit us at the handicraft centre. We make a huge contribution to the foreign reserves when we cash our foreign currency,” he said.
Carnival Splendor arrived on Saturday in Suva with 2,450 passengers and 1,146 crew. It made a stop at port Denarau yesterday before it departed for Sydney, Australia. From Sydney it will head back to Seattle in the United States of America.
The cruise ships had stopped over at Suva, Denarau before it went to Sydney, Australia then re-turned to Seattle.
The permanent secretary for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Shaheen Ali said it was nice to see the ship berthed at the Suva Port, “a sight in Suva most of us missed”.
Meanwhile, last month Fiji welcomed its first cruise ship with the return of Carnival Cruise’s Pacific Explorer in Lautoka.
“Our most immediate efforts now is to work with the MSMEs and tour operators serving the cruise sector to ensure they continue to benefit,” Mr Ali said.
“We are also looking at brands such as Norwegian Spirit and MS Regatta calling into Fiji.”
As the Chair for Fiji Ports Corporation Limited, Mr Ali said the Port of Suva had been nominated again by the World Cruise Awards for the award of Oceania’s Best Cruise Terminal 2022.
He said the Port of Suva was up against the Ports of Auckland (New Zealand), Port of Newcastle (New Zealand), and Sydney Harbour (Australia), and they were really committed to creating the best environment.
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