Record cruise year predicted to bring £14m boost to Highlands
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RECORD-breaking cruise passenger numbers in the Cromarty Firth will boost the economy by £14 million this year, a port believes.
The Port of Cromarty Firth estimates that it will welcome 142,000 passengers into Invergordon this year – up 45 per cent on 2016.
The 91 cruise ships expected to dock is also up by 44 per cent in a year.
The first cruise ship to arrive this year will be the AIDAvita on April 12, carrying 1200 passengers. And the cruise season will also finish later than usual this year with the ‘Black Watch’ cruise ship’s 800 passengers expected in dock on December 3.
Captain Iain Dunderdale, cruise manager at the Port of Cromarty Firth, said: “We have been seeing a steady increase in the number of cruise passengers visiting Invergordon over the years, but 2017 looks like it is going to be extraordinary.
“Some of the world’s largest cruise ships will be coming into the port this year. This is really good news for businesses across the Highlands.
“We are looking forward to welcoming eight new cruise ships this year, including MSC Cruises’ MSC Preziosa, which will carry 3500 passengers and Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ new flagship, Columbus, which will carry 1750 passengers.
Bob Buskie, chief executive of the Port of Cromarty Firth, said: “The cruise sector has a crucial role to play in the Cromarty Firth area, 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.”
The port believes the bumper cruise passenger numbers will boost the local economy by around £14 million, contributing to tourist attractions across the Highlands, including the Castle of Mey, Castle Stuart, Urquhart Castle, Glenmorangie Distillery, Inverness and the Strathspey Steam Railway.
It added that the industry was also helping Invergordon become a tourist destination in its own right, through Invergordon Museum, the town’s famous murals and its thriving arts and crafts scene.
