More than 740 jobs lost as cruise ships skip South Island (NZ)
A sharp drop in cruise ship visits has stripped more than 740 cruise-supported jobs out of the South Island in a year, hitting small port towns hardest.
New industry figures show cruise activity in the South Island now supports just over 2100 jobs, down from 2843 the previous season, a fall of about 26%.
Nationwide, cruise-supported employment fell from 9743 to 8253 jobs between 2023/24 and 2024/25, a 15.3% drop. Total wages linked to cruises declined by $41.6 million to $384.2m.
Full story More than 740 jobs lost as cruise ships skip South Island (NZ)
