THE Kangaroo Island Visitor Centre has temporarily closed its doors after the tourist office reportedly ran out of money to pay its staff, leaving visitors to the island without a main tourist hub. The closure comes after several cruise lines pledged their support to South Australia, including Princess Cruises who...
THE Kangaroo Island Visitor Centre has temporarily closed its doors after the tourist office reportedly ran out of money to pay its staff, leaving visitors to the island without a main tourist hub.
The closure comes after several cruise lines pledged their support to South Australia, including Princess Cruises who last month revealed plans to double its cruises to and from Adelaide and the greater state for the 2020/21 cruise season, including making a series of calls at Kangaroo Island (CW 20 Mar).
The closure prompted a call for emergency funding to prop up the business, with SA Tourism Minister David Ridgway, voicing his commitment to the centre’s reopening in a statement to news service The Advertiser.
“I recognise the importance of the Kangaroo Island Visitor Centre to the local community and look forward to working with the local council, through the South Australian Tourism Commission, to discuss ways in which they may reopen it,” Ridgway said.
Kangaroo Island’s Mayor, Michael Pengilly, also listed a number of options that could be employed to save the centre, including council running the centre, putting it out to tender, as well as putting a levy on cruise ship passengers.
“We need to have it operating…but we won’t be railroaded into a cash handout in tight times,” he said in a statement.
Kangaroo Island experienced its “busiest ever cruise ship season” in 2018/19, with the total number of ships visiting the region climbing to 28, compared with 19 the previous season.
Pictured: Kangaroo Island.
