The Coral Adventurer cruise ship will anchor in Port Fairy on November 25

The town today welcomed passengers from the Coral Adventurer cruise ship when it anchored in the bay in the morning.

Mayor Karen Foster said the passengers were expected to make their way to the shore in smaller launch craft from 9am and leave by about noon.

"This is the second cruise ship visit and it's great to see Port Fairy is becoming a destination for sea faring tourists," Cr Foster said.

"Last year we welcomed guests from the Caledonian Sky and in previous years visitors have been brought to Port Fairy from Portland via bus.

"This is a bit of a new tourism sector for us, but we are very keen to ensure the guests feel welcome so they get a taste of the Moyne experience and are encouraged to come back later and explore the wider region in the future."

Cr Foster said the latest data showed the visitor economy for the first half of the year was up almost 60 per cent on pre-COVID figures.

"So we have bounced back stronger than ever and it shows Port Fairy and Moyne is a destination of choice," she said.

Explore Coral Expeditions commercial director Jeff Gillies said there were 104 passengers onboard.

Mr Gillies said Port Fairy was chosen as a stopover due to fitting into the sailing schedule.

"It is a historic and interesting township," he said.

"We look for balance of nature, culture and heritage and guests are loving meeting people in different areas of Australia on the journey.

"Port Fairy have been very proactive in the planning for the voyage and we are thrilled to be here after delaying this special voyage twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While in Port Fairy, passengers undertook town tours before cruising along the Shipwreck Coast and past the Twelve Apostles.

IN OTHER NEWS

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.