State Representative Pushes For Cruise Industry In Coastal Bend

By Mitch Bryan
Posted: Apr 27, 2010 9:36 PM

CORPUS CHRISTI - State Representative, Todd Hunter is spearheading a campaign to bring a cruise ship industry to the area.
Tuesday, Hunter held a "Town Hall" meeting with some of the city's "movers and shakers," to get input and answer questions about the ambitious project.
Stan Hulse with the Padre Island Business Association said, "Anythingthat can bring this type of economic impact to the area I think is going to garner a lot of interest. We're looking for any kind of bolster to our economy and our tourism in particular."

Like other successful examples in Galveston and Florida, those involved with the project say that the city's access to open waterways and numerous tourist attractions, make it a great foundation to build a multi-million dollar cruise industry.

"It's a great fit. Look at us, we've got four coastal counties up and down, that's a perfect location. To me it's travel and tourism, it fits the area, and also brings jobs and economics to our zones," said Hunter.
The project is still in its fledgling stages, and Hunter and his team of experts are pushing the plan in "Town Hall" meetings over the next few months. But the time frame for the project is a realistic one.

"It'll be ongoing. I think you're going to look at probably over the next year. We've got a lot of planning, a lot of programming and a lot of PR-ing, just to make sure we can get folks to look at us," said Hunter.

And if he and his team are successful, it might not be long before Corpus residents find themselves at the center of a nautical adventure.

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