Spread the cruise ship wealth, says Opposition

It's time for P.E.I. cruise ship visitors to see more than just downtown Charlottetown and Anne of Green Gables, says Opposition tourism critic James Aylward.

The P.E.I. government says 2013 will be another record-setting cruise ship season, with 75 ships scheduled to berth in Charlottetown Harbour, an increase of almost a 50 per cent increase over last year.

Aylward said he has been promoting the idea of the cruise ship traffic benefitting other Island locations as well.

"I've been out across the Island meeting with different tourism groups, different sectors and urging them to start promoting their communities, like Georgetown, Montague and those areas, to put packages together and to work with the Department of Tourism," he said.

The province should provide more assistance for regional tourism associations to market their areas to cruise ship visitors, he said.

The cruise ship season in Charlottetown will run from May 8 to Oct. 27. Multiple ships will be in the harbour on 10 days in September and October.