The cruise line industry on the Great Lakes and St. Marys River continues to thrive in 2023.
Several companies have cruise ships that venture across the Great Lakes with one popular port to stop at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
This past season, hundreds of passengers on each of those cruise ships toured the historic city, usually spending the entire day walking around, checking out the sites, eating and shopping.
By the time the cruise line tours end in mid-October, a total of 44 stops by those ships brought in a solid chunk of money to the local economy.
Linda Hoath, executive director of the Sault Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, keeps tabs on the financial impact on the area from these stops.
"Those cruises that come in here, I figured this year around a half-million dollars went into the community. And they are only here for a short time. I want them to keep coming back, and I want even more. We are hoping as soon as the Carbide Dock is done, we can get the Viking ships in here which are even bigger," Hoath said.
Anna Tanski, tourism director for Cruise The Great Lakes, made a visit to Sault Ste. Marie on Sept. 9 when the Le Bellot cruise ship made a stop.
"Cruising has really come into its own on the Great Lakes, and while the Sault has been a popular destination for many years, the cruise line industry has really expanded their itineraries to many areas in the Great Lakes," Tanski said.
For the entire Great Lakes, Tanski says there have been 800 port visits this year with a total economic impact of $235 million.
"It's really bringing together our entire region and Canadian ports so that we are exploring new ways to showcase what our unique opportunities are not just to the cruise line itself, but also to the passengers," added Tanski.
When a cruise liner arrives and the passengers tour and shop downtown, Hoath makes it a point to talk to them.
"They love coming here. They love learning about the historical part of Sault Ste. Marie. All of us working together has made this a great place for the cruise ships to come. It's so neat to see. They love being here. As soon as they get off the ship, everything is so close," continued Hoath.
Hoath is always looking forward to how to increase traffic and visits to the area
"We are always looking forward to making it better. This season was magnificent. The weather was pretty cooperative, too. We truly are hoping to get Viking Cruises to make the Sault a destination," concluded Hoath.
