SEATTLE — One of the largest money-makers in Seattle is the tourism industry, specifically the cruise ships.
Tourism experts say those tourists bring in millions of dollars to Seattle every Summer, with this year projected to be the biggest year yet.
Liz Johnson with Visit Seattle tells us the Seattle Port is known for its destinations.
“Seattle has always been part of that journey north to Alaska,” Johnson said.
Visitors from all over the world are coming to the Emerald City every day.
“We are really excited when they choose Seattle,” Johnson said.
This summer, the Port of Seattle is expecting downtown to get pretty crowded.
“With 1.9 million passengers, so that’s another record-breaking season,” Johnson said.
Ships like the Norwegian Joy are bringing in a new wave of tourists every week.
“We can hold on average 4,000 passengers,” Norwegian Joy Cruise Director Brynne Wyatt said.
All of them are spending money here, too.
“Cruise is a half-year business for us; it brings in about $900 million to the regional economy,” Linda Springman with the Port of Seattle said.
They say this is benefiting businesses of all kinds.
“We are asking them to visit our hotels and restaurants and to visit different shops. We want people to spend more time in Seattle,” Johnson said.
She said the summer cruises provide a huge monetary influx to the Seattle economy, and they expect that to grow as they add three new ships over the next year.
One of them embarks on its maiden voyage this year on June 12, and the other two next summer.
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