Cruises may have big ripple effect here

May 13th, 2004

Mobile mayor says this area likely to see more tourists

From staff reports
Huntsville Times

Caribbean cruises sailing out of Mobile this fall will generate more than $500,000 in tax revenue for Alabama, according to Mobile Mayor Mike Dow.

Carnival Cruise Lines will launch its ship Holiday from Mobile's new cruise terminal, the Harbor Center, beginning Oct. 16. The ship will sail on four- and five-day cruises with stops in Cozumel, Costa Maya and Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Dow was to visit Huntsville today as part of a statewide blitz to spread the news not only about cruises now just a half-day's drive away, but to emphasize their importance to the Mobile and Alabama economies. He said cities such as Huntsville and Florence could benefit by attracting tourists who are driving from North Carolina, Tennessee and elsewhere to board the ships.

A University of South Alabama study found that construction for the new cruise terminal will generate more than $930,000 for Alabama. Having a major cruise line with a home port in Mobile will mean an additional $673,000 in tax revenue for the state, it said.

Carnival chose Mobile as its latest "drive-to" market with the notion that cruise passengers are seeking more convenient, accessible ports, officials said.