25 March, 2015
Afternoon to you all.
Hope the visitor numbers are holding steady for you all. I know things are very quiet in the outer islands and we are trying to secure some marketing campaign funds to push the business your way. I do want to raise an issue that has been doing the rounds for the past month – that Tourism Tonga has got millions of dollars from the NZ government. That is NOT the case.
7 March 2015
Costa Deliziosa arrived at Nuku'alofa Saturday morning 7th March with over 2,800 passengers and 1,100 crew members.
The cruise ships certainly have a great impact and last week’s visit to Nukualofa by Japanese cruise liner Asuka II and the Queen Elizabeth was amazing with over 3,500 visitors and almost 1,500 crew in the port.
"Getting to paradise isn't easy," says Lucy, our Ene'io Botanical Gardens guide, as we step off a vintage bus at the end of a long, winding road on the east side of the island of Vava'u.
The Cruise Ship Queen Elizabeth arrived in Tonga yesterday around 8:00 am and berthed at the Vuna Wharf as part of a day visit to the Kingdom of Tonga. She is the second largest ship to be constructed for Cunard, exceeded only by Queen Mary 2, and is capable of carrying up to 2,092 passengers. The ship is running mate to Queen Victoria who visited Tonga in 2014. This is the second time this majestic vessel visited the kingdom and the largest to berth at the new Vuna Wharf.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga says he is hopeful suspended aid from New Zealand will be released shortly.
Nuku'alofa,
1 February, 2015.
General Manager
Tourism Tonga
These certainly are changing times and with the grounding of the MA60, airline services are something we are all very aware of.