Melbourne River Cruises is celebrated as an award-wining tourism and hospitality brand and one of leaders in the Victorian tourism industry. For over forty years, Melbourne River Cruises has steadily grown its operation, starting with only one boat to its current fleet of seven large multipurpose commercial passenger vessels. The business shows no signs of slowing down with the increasing influx of tourists into Melbourne. The past two years of trade has been exceptional with strong revenue forecast for 2024, said the selling agents from JLL Hotels & Hospitality’s Lachlan Persley and Will Connolly. 

The sale includes valuable assets and infrastructure which comprise of five exclusive berth licences strategically located at Federation Wharf and Southgate, as well as seven custom-built commercial passenger vessels designed to easily navigate the twists and turns and low-hanging bridges of the Yarra River. Included in the fleet is the ‘Spirit of Melbourne’, a one-of-kind, two-story cruising restaurant that accommodates up to 165 patrons and is fit with a fully equipped commercial kitchen.  

Located in the heart of Melbourne, the business allows ease of access for customers to set on their journey to enjoy a variety of experiences including a ferry to Williamstown, Yarra River sight-seeing cruises and the ‘Spirit of Melbourne’ floating restaurant. The cruises showcase many of Melbourne’s iconic landmarks which include the MCG, Botanic Gardens and Federation Square, providing an unforgettable experience for their guests.

Lachlan Persley, Executive, JLL Hotels & Hospitality, expects significant interest in the business. “We’re very excited to offer such a unique tourism & hospitality business with a rich history and well-known operation. It is very rare to see a business of this calibre come to market, and as a result we expect buyers will be attracted to the invaluable infrastructure and opportunity to enter this niche market which otherwise has an extremely difficult barrier to entry”, Persley commented.

“With the same operators at the helm for over four decades, Melbourne River Cruises has cemented its reputation as the largest cruise operator on the Yarra River and ‘must do tourist experiences’, providing the incoming operator with an extraordinary opportunity to make their mark in Melbourne and continue the legacy”, Persley continued 

The business and assets of Melbourne River Cruises are being offered for sale via national Expressions of Interest closing Wednesday 10 April at 5:00pm.

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