The opening date for the new Vuna Wharf, reconstructed at a cost of $30 million and scheduled for early 2012, remains uncertain, with work still to be done around the wharf site before it can open for business.

Mosese Lavemai, the CEO of the Nuku'alofa Port Authority, said on February 1, that although the reconstruction of the actual wharf was completed ahead of schedule in December 2011, additional work needed to be completed around the wharf before a date is set for an opening.

Mosese is a member of a Cruise Steering Committee that was set up last year to look at all development and promotion of the cruise ship market, and to carry out preparations for the opening. He said some of the work to be done included fixing the entrance road, setting up security facilities and landscaping the site, and was to be done by the Nuku'alofa Development Corporation. "So I can't give an exact date as to when the wharf will open, because it depends on when the work is done," he said.

In December, the wharf's contractor Fletcher Royco removed all their equipment from the site after competing the wharf reconstruction  77 days ahead of schedule.  It was hoped that the opening would be held in early 2012, because in March the Nuku'alofa CBD Reconstruction Project, financed with an$118 million pa'anga loan from China comes to an end.

Tourism

Sandra Fifita from the Ministry of Tourism, also a member of the Cruise Steering Committee, said they are planning a set up where visitors can view handicrafts and cultural displays at the wharf. "And we want them to stroll into downtown Nuku'alofa for  shopping and join tours of the island.

She said there were other development plans for a Marina on the right side of the wharf ,and potential hotel development, but that was separate from the actual wharf development, which is now run and managed by the Ports Authority.

The development of a dedicated cruise wharf showed Tonga's commitment to cruise development and shows interest from cruise liners, she said, but the wharf alone wouldl not double the number of cruise ships, but needed the local authority "to provide great packages on landing fees, varieties of tour programs available when cruise shop arrive to choose from.

She said there is also a need to further promote Tonga as a cruise destination to cruising companies, and last year a South Pacific Cruising Association was established to work together in promoting cruise ships to the South Pacific including Fiji, Samoa, French Polynesia, American Samoa and Tonga.

Meanwhile, Sitafooti 'Aho who operates Rising Sun company an agent for excursions in Tonga, said that he welcomed the construction of the new wharf.

He said his company holds tours around the island for most of the cruise ships to Tonga.

"What I want to see is for the additional work around the wharf site to be completed in a good standard. There is a need for a good entrance road, parking spaces for taxis and tour busses, as well as facilities for viewing of handicrafts, among other things," he said.

He said the first cruise ship in 2012 arrived in Nuku'alofa on February 2, and he took around 400 passengers on his tours to four different sites in Tonga.

Until the new wharf opens, the cruise ships would continue to use the Queen Salote wharf.