The Geraldton business community and volunteers have been armed with information on how to meet the needs of the cruise market.

In conjunction with the City of Greater Geraldton, Australia’s Coral Coast, the Mid-West Chamber of Commerce and the Geraldton Visitor Centre, Tourism Western Australia hosted Welcoming Cruise Passengers to the West and Cruise Ready workshops to provide insight into the industry.

The Cruise Ready workshop was held on 20th March for an audience of about 60 people to coincide with the Radiance of the Seas visit to Geraldton.

James Coughlan, Shore Excursion manager from  Intercruises Shoreside and Ports Services, was on hand to provide local tourism, hospitality and retail businesses with a broader understanding of how the sector works and tips on meeting the needs of the market.

Participants were given an insight into the skills that will ensure cruise passengers have a memorable visit.

This followed on from a Welcoming Cruise Passengers to the West workshop held in February and attracted an enthusiastic response from  Geraldtons’ volunteer guides and cruise ship meet and greeters.

Tour Guides – WA president and workshop facilitator Cherie Toovey, who has more than 15 years’ experience as a tour guide, covered topics ranging from understanding cruise line expectations, to commentary and storytelling.

Each workshop is part of a series of cruise shipping education workshops for regional communities, sponsored by Tourism WA and held across WA’s port destinations.