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British ports cash in on cruise boom

British ports are cashing in on the boom in cruise travel.

Figures released this week that show a 21 per cent surge in passengers visiting UK ports.

Cruise travel from British ports rose by 10 per cent in 2010 with UK ports attracting a third more embarking passengers from overseas.

And, according to CruiseBritain, Southampton has become the busiest cruise homeport in Northern Europe, with other ports around the British coastline from Dover to Newcastle also benefiting from the continued popularity of cruise holidays.

With one in nine package holidays now being a cruise and a no-flying element increasing its relevance for 28 per cent of the market, the Passenger Shipping Association’s 2010 Cruise Review clearly shows the resilient growth of the cruise industry for British ports.

A record 116 ship visits from 53 cruise lines brought 541,000 visitors to UK ports in 2010 with 47 ports receiving at least one call.

This represents a more than doubling of popularity since 2003.  With each passenger estimated to be worth €97 (European Cruise Council 2009), cruise tourism generates €52million to the local economies.

“Northern Europe shows the strongest growth rate as a destination over the last decade,” commented Kate O’Hara of CruiseBritain, “and we continue to work to win a share of that for British ports.

“Overseas passengers embarking in the UK now account for 28% of all embarking passengers and this plus the half a million ports of call visits combine to show the strength and potential of Brand Britain.

“The British Isles can also offer unique itineraries for domestic tourists and figures for these cruises continue to grow with 22,000 UK passengers taking a Round Britain cruise in 2010.” O’Hara added.

CruiseBritain is a joint initiative between industry, the Passenger Shipping Association and VisitBritain, focused on promoting cruise holidays as an integral part of the British leisure travel market.