Cruise ships are likely to return to the Banks Peninsula town of Akaroa this summer, but in far fewer numbers than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
About 19 ships are expected in Akaroa this season, which is a significant drop from the 90 that called in during 2019 and 2020.
Haphazard scheduling of cruise ships had angered residents of Akaroa before the pandemic Photo: 123RF
Akaroa Civic Trust chairman, Mike Norris said that's a more sustainable number.
"One a week for the season, or two a week, we'd never grumble about that. I think what reached tipping point was having 90 in a season, some of them back to back three on the same day. At times it felt like we had lost it."
He said more still needed to be done to protect the health of people on cruises and those they mingle with on shore.
Canterbury Regional Council introduced new limits on the number of anchorages, the size of ships and how often they can visit.
A date for re-opening the country's maritime border is expected to be set in the next few weeks.