A tender filled with passengers from the Westerdam cruise ship heads into port. Confirmed cruise ship visits for the 2026-27 summer are up 50% on the previous season. Trust Tairāwhiti regional destination manager Joe Williams (inset bottom) says the visits could bring about 10,000 passengers to Gisborne, while inner harbour restaurant owner Grant Fussell (inset top) is encouraging businesses to open their doors for the tourist injection. Main photo / Ben Cowper; Fussell photo / Zoe Mills; Williams photo / Trust Tairāwhiti
Local businesses can look forward to a busy summer as cruise ship visits to Gisborne are set to increase by 50%.
Recent data from the New Zealand Cruise Association (NZCA) shows Gisborne leading the North Island in its booking percentage increase for the upcoming season.
Out of the eightconfirmed for 2025-26, six went ahead as scheduled and two were cancelled due to weather conditions.
For the 2026-27 Gisborne cruise season, there are 12 booked port calls – 50% up on the previous season.
Gisborne is the only North Island port with an increase in bookings for the season.
Auckland, Bay of Islands, Napier, Tauranga, Wellington and Whitianga/Whangamatā ports have all recorded a drop – the most major being Napier (-20%, from 61 to 49) and Wellington (-24%, 71 to 54).
Whakatāne, Waiheke Island and New Plymouth have the same number of booked port calls as last season.
Overall cruise ship visits to North Island ports are down 12%.
Joe Williams, regional destination manager for Trust Tairāwhiti, is “pleased” to see the increase in scheduled visits for the region.
“While we would always like to see more cruise ships visiting Gisborne, the increase is a step in the right direction and reflects the ongoing work of Eastland Port, the trust and our tourism partners to position the region as an attractive cruise destination,” he said in a statement.
Williams said the visits could bring about 10,000 passengers to Gisborne, with a potential $2.9 million in passenger spending.
While bookings have increased from last season, the activity is still significantly lower than the 21 in 2024-25.
Declining numbers of cruise ship visits were a challenge for the whole country, Williams said.
“Cruise deployment is highly competitive internationally. Cruise lines make scheduling decisions years in advance and consider a range of factors, including itinerary planning, fuel efficiency, operational costs, infrastructure and destination demand.
“Our focus is on continuing to work with Eastland Port, Cruise New Zealand and industry partners to maximise opportunities for visitation and showcase Tairāwhiti as a unique destination.”
| Port | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | % change 26/27 vs 25/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 119 | 129 | 145 | 143 | 122 | 93 | 138 | 116 | 77 | 68 | ▼ 12% |
| Bay of Islands | 64 | 64 | 74 | 62 | 79 | 55 | 90 | 74 | 47 | 44 | ▼ 6% |
| Gisborne | 6 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 8 | 12 | 50% |
| Great Barrier Island | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 5 | |||||
| Napier | 62 | 73 | 89 | 81 | 78 | 85 | 92 | 85 | 61 | 49 | ▼ 20% |
| New Plymouth | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| Tauranga | 84 | 113 | 120 | 106 | 105 | 105 | 111 | 96 | 84 | 79 | ▼ 6% |
| Waiheke Island | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0% | |
| Wellington | 80 | 109 | 128 | 111 | 111 | 104 | 108 | 76 | 71 | 54 | ▼ 24% |
| Whakatane | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| Whangarei | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0% | |||
| Whitianga/Whangamata | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Total North Island | 417 | 512 | 585 | 535 | 541 | 481 | 587 | 491 | 352 | 311 | ▼ 12% |
Grant Fussell, owner of inner harbour business The Wharf Bar & Grill for the past 16 years, enjoys having cruise ship tourists visit and would “love to see more of them”.
“We’re the first place they see when they come in and the last one they leave, so we want to make sure that we give them the hospitality they deserve.”
Fussell has noticed a drop in tourist numbers in the past few years and says one of the main issues is shops and restaurants closing early.
“I think Gisborne’s lost its appeal as a beautiful destination. [Cruise ship tourists] come in and half the shops are closed. If they come in on a weekend Saturday afternoon or a Sunday, nothing’s open.
“The cruise ship people used to come into town, they’d walk the main street ... they’d come back and they’d have bags of things. Now they’re coming back with empty hands.”
Fussell wants to see businesses extend their opening hours for tourists.
“I’d just really like to see a lot of the other local businesses, when the cruise boats are here, to open your doors.”
The first of the 12 cruise visits for the season will be by expedition ship Coral Adventurer, with capacity for 120 passengers, on December 6.
