The 2020 Cruise Association Conference, scheduled to be held in Christchurch on August 20, has been postponed.
"In line with the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 recommendations regarding events and public gatherings and in the interests of public health in New Zealand, we have decided to cancel the 2020 New Zealand Cruise Association Conference and postpone this event to next year," says New Zealand Cruise Association CEO Kevin O'Sullivan.
"We were very much looking forward to hosting this conference as it is a highlight of our event calendar so it was a difficult decision for us to make, but ultimately the right one. We apologise for any inconvenience the cancellation of this 2020 event may cause.
"However, we are pleased to announce that the 2021 Conference will be held in Christchurch, with the Lyttelton port visit and Welcome function on Thursday, August 19, 2021 and the conference day on August 20, 2021 – the venues remain the same. We will be in touch in early 2021 with further information."
"While it’s disappointing to see any event cancelled, public health must come first and we fully support the decision of the New Zealand Cruise Association to cancel their 2020 conference," says GM – Destination and Attraction, for ChristchurchNZ Loren Heaphy.
"We look forward to hosting this event in Christchurch when it is safe to do so, and remain hugely supportive of the cruise industry as a key part of the reactivation of Christchurch’s visitor economy post COVID-19."
Last year's event pulled in more than 250 attendees and was hosted in Auckland.
