ANOTHER record year is in prospect for a Highland port with a 15% rise in the number of cruise ships and a 5% increase in passengers.
Port of Cromarty Firth (PCF) yesterday revealed that it will welcome more than 180,000 passengers on 109 liners, beating last year’s record figures.
The passengers are expected to boost the Highland economy by around £18 million, contributing to a range of Highland attractions, including Cawdor Castle, Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Jacobite Cruises, Glenmorangie Distillery, Inverness and the Strathspey Steam Railway.
New visitor attractions this year include a tour of Rothiemurchus, in the Cairngorms National Park. Anticipated additional demand for dolphin and wildlife boat tours have led Ecotours in Cromarty to recruit extra staff.
Sarah Pern, from Ecotours, said: “With another projected increase in liner visits, and a desire for more bespoke, tailor-made experiences, we are pleased to be able to expand our team and carrying capacity for the season ahead.
“We are incredibly fortunate to live where we do and to have the unique wildlife of the Moray Firth on our doorstep, and we are looking forward to sharing it with many more visitors in 2019.”
The tourism sector is continuing to help Invergordon become a tourist destination in its own right, with Invergordon Museum, the town’s famous murals and its thriving arts and crafts scene all proving popular. Invergordon will also be a base for the 68,000 crew that will be visiting the Highlands on these ships.
The first cruise ship to arrive will again be the Astoria, which will dock on March 26, carrying 550 passengers. PCF’s cruise season will finish on September 24 with the Seabourn Ovation carrying 600 passengers.
Allison McGuire, cruise manager for PCF, said: “We have seen a steady increase in the number of cruise passengers visiting Invergordon over the years and 2019 will be no exception.
“This year we will continue to see some of the world’s largest cruise ships coming into the port, taking advantage of the deep water and incredible attractions we have to offer. This is really good news for businesses across the Highlands and I look forward to welcoming new and returning vessels into the port over the coming months.”
She said the ships came in a variety of sizes, from vessels such as Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Norwegian Getaway, which carries 4400 passengers, to Hebridean Island Cruises’ Hebridean Princess which carries just 60 passengers.
Port chief executive Bob Buskie said: “These ships will bring more than 180,000 tourists to the Highlands this year, playing a crucial role in supporting the creation of local jobs in a number of areas, including tour guides, shipping agents, ground handling staff, transport providers, pipers, and the employees of local distilleries, golf clubs and the hospitality industry. We also have plans to create a Facebook page to help local businesses promote themselves to cruise passengers.”
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