Chef Luke Mangan, whose named restaurants are a feature on P&O Cruises Australia ships, has today joined the cruise industry's call for a pathway for the careful resumption of cruising in Australia.
Speaking in a video posted on P&O social media, Mr Mangan said that post-pandemic all sectors and organisations that could make an economic contribution would be needed in an 'all hands on deck' approach to national recovery.
An industry such as cruising that pre-pandemic contributed more than $5 billion annually to economic activity and supported more than 18,000 direct and indirect jobs should not be overlooked.
"We've never needed that sort of contribution more than now," Mr Mangan said in the video.
"Especially the people feeling the repercussions of the suspension of cruising - farmers, travel agents, regional destinations, tour operators, hotels, restaurants, transport operators, live entertainers, musicians and retail outlets. They're doing it really tough."
Mr Mangan said this was happening in the absence of any certainty as to when cruising would resume and in an environment where no sector had been hit harder by the pandemic's impact than tourism and travel.
It was high time for relevant authorities to offer certainty by agreeing to a pathway for cruising's restart knowing that the industry had put in the work to safely resume operations beginning with domestic itineraries.
The peak industry body, Cruise Lines International Association Australasia (CLIA), has been working with federal government agencies to establish protocols and procedures to support the restart of cruising.
"So many of you (cruise guests) are ready and willing to cruise again. Destinations want to see the big white ships again," Mr Mangan said. "And the cruise lines are just as ready and willing to do their bit. Australia has set some pretty big targets for tourism to achieve by 2030. That makes identifying a pathway all the more important."
With more than 10 years as P&O Cruises Australia's celebrity chef, Luke Mangan is the longest serving in this high profile role in Australian cruising.
Click here to access the Luke Mangan video.
