Cruise control

ONE of the major drawcards of Geelong is our gorgeous waterfront.

The waterfront is home to some of our most cherished events – where visitors come to witness our floating Christmas tree, fireworks on New Year’s Eve and major sports events like the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, IRONMAN 70.3 and Run4Geelong.

While the revitalisation of our waterfront in the late 1990s and, more recently, the Wangim Walk and Geelong Waterfront Safe Harbour Precinct redevelopment have transformed it into a centrepiece of our city, there remains plenty of opportunities for growth.

I believe the cruise ship industry presents an exciting avenue to unlock new opportunities for our region.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop hosted by Visit Victoria and Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine, where our local tourism providers met with stakeholders from the cruise ship industry.

The workshop served as a platform to foster important conversations between major cruise players, who shared their needs and expectations of destination ports, and our local businesses, who showcased their diverse hospitality and experience offerings.

When passengers disembark from a cruise ship, they can either explore the region as part of a pre-booked tour or enjoy some free time exploring ashore.

Pre-booked tours have traditionally included Bellarine wineries, historical and heritage attractions, and the Great Ocean Road. Those with free time tend to visit central Geelong, Geelong Botanic Gardens and the National Wool Museum.

Geelong is home to a plethora of exciting attractions and breathtaking landscapes to explore. So, the cruise ship workshop was a fantastic opportunity for stakeholders to consider future itineraries for their adventurous guests.

These opportunities aren’t exclusive to our city’s waterfront either. We are actively exploring options for berthing along the Bellarine Peninsula as well.

This would be a fantastic destination for travellers seeking to explore the peninsula’s cellar doors, producers and mussel tours while in Victoria.

Forging stronger partnerships with cruise ship operators could open the floodgates to a wealth of tourism opportunities for our entire region. The numbers from the most recent season speak for themselves.

Four large cruise ships visited Corio Bay during the 2024-25 season, bringing more than 2,500 travellers who disembarked via Wangim Walk to explore our waterfront.

These visits injected about $1.2 million in economic benefit into Geelong and the Bellarine region.

In a historic moment this past January, we witnessed two cruise ships docked simultaneously in Corio Bay for the very first time.

During their visit, the National Wool Museum saw double its regular patrons, and record sales in its shop.

It’s a compelling case for the immense potential that comes with opening our bay to host more cruises and guests.

For context, Melbourne, a major metropolitan hub, welcomed some 91,190 passengers from 43 cruise ships this past season.

Geelong stands as the natural gateway to the awe-inspiring Great Ocean Road. With our acclaimed hospitality, fresh produce, spectacular natural wonders and picturesque waterfront, I see our city as the perfect port for cruising in Victoria.

It is my hope that cruise operators, and their many passengers, will recognise Geelong as the next must-visit cruising destination on their horizon.

Cr Stretch Kontelj

Mayor,

City of Greater Geelong