The 2016 cruise ship season is officially underway.
The Star Princess arrived in Vancouver Monday, the first of an estimated 28 vessels expected to make nearly 228 stops in the city this year.
And they are about to give the local economy a shot of adrenaline.
“Typically, every call that leaves Canada Place generates about $2 million of economic impact,” Canada Place services manager Carmen Ortega said.
Last year, more than 800,000 passengers walked off cruise ships to go shopping in downtown Vancouver. This year, the number of passengers is expected to rise by three per cent.
WATCH: Vancouver welcomes first cruise ship of the year
The success of the cruise ship industry raises some key questions. Can the city handle more tourists? Is there room for growth?
Hundreds of thousands of tourists — many of them Americans lured by the weak loonie — will come ashore this spring and summer, ready to spend money.
“We do think that the currency rate, in particular, between the our dollar and US dollar, encourages people to invest a bit more in our economy, which is fantastic,” Tourism Vancouver CEO Ty Speer said.
– With files from Keith Baldrey