The Port of Lyttelton is to build its first cruise-ship berth to make the most of the tourism market.
The company says it will spend $13.7 million building the berth by the end of next year.
Chief executive Peter Davie says the port expects 72 visits from cruise ships next year, which will be worth more than $30 million to the Canterbury economy.
The company expects a substantial increase in cruise visits to the port over the next 10 - 15 years.
Once the new cruise-ship berth is built, Mr Davie says the port will be able to host 100 vessels per season.
