Fremantle to host national cruise conference

The national conference is expected to attract more than 150 industry representatives from national and international cruise lines, state and national tourism agencies, shore excursion operators, port authorities and shipping agents.

The event was secured in partnership with Tourism Western Australia, Business Events Perth and the City of Fremantle.

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said Fremantle was a deserving host, having welcomed more cruise line passengers than any other WA port this year.

"We are very excited to host this national event and will be maximising the opportunity to network with all the key players in the cruise sector and showcase our city to the world.

"The cruise industry is an important contributor to our local economy. This season we're expecting around 30 cruise ships to dock in Fremantle between August 2024 and August 2025. That's been a steady number for the past couple of years," Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

The hosting announcement was made at the ACA's 2024 Annual Conference, held in Adelaide this week.

ACA CEO Jill Abel said the Association was looking forward to heading back to WA.

"2025 will mark 20 years since the Conference was last held in Fremantle with 49 delegates in attendance. Next year we expect around three times that many. Recent conferences in WA were also held in Perth in 2014 and Broome in 2018."

The ACA, with 93 members, is the peak industry body for marketing Australia and the region as a world-class cruise destination.

"The committee's decision to select Fremantle reflects the important commitment by the State Government and the various stakeholders throughout the state to discuss the next phase of growth for Western Australia," Ms Abel said.

The value of cruise tourism in Western Australia reached a record $333.5 million in the 2022-23 financial year.

Fremantle accounted for $285.5 million of that economic impact with the port supporting 924 jobs and welcoming over 72,000 passengers and 9,000 crew members across 33 cruise visits.

Fremantle is already hosting the WA Tourism Conference in May next year, bringing together 250 industry delegates from across the state.

Business Events Perth CEO Gareth Martin said he was delighted for Fremantle to have been selected as the ACA Conference host.

"Hosting the 2025 Australian Cruise Association Conference marks a significant milestone for Western Australia and actively opens doors to increased connectivity, advancing cruise access, business travel and leisure tourism opportunities.

"The collective bid partnership between Tourism Western Australia, City of Fremantle and Business Events Perth is testament to our collaborative approach in driving business event visitation as well as targeting growth opportunities for the state's visitor economy," Mr Martin said.

The Conference will be held 3-5 September 2025.