#portofcork – According to the Port of Cork, August is set to be the busiest month ever with 21 cruise liners scheduled to call. Up to 30,000 cruise passengers will step ashore during the month of August bringing a welcome boost to Cork Harbour and the local economy.
It is further good news for the port that also reported this month a boost in performance in 2012 compared to 2011.
During the month of August there will be two cruise liners in port on the same day up to five times, while on one day there will be three cruise liners in port.
Commenting about the month of August Captain Michael McCarthy, Commercial Manager Port of Cork said: "It will be all hands on deck for the month of August as we get set to welcome 21 liners to our Port. Not only does this highlight the Port of Cork as a popular cruise destination, but will also demonstrate our capabilities as a port in managing more than one cruise vessel in port at a time."
He continued: "It's incredibly important that these cruise passengers are given a huge Irish welcome when they arrive. We are delivering in partnership with the cruise lines up to 100,000 cruise passengers and crew yearly and it's really up to the City, County and tourism groups and retailers to ensure they are looked after when they get here. There is a substantial economic spin off for the region which should be capitalised on as in the month of August alone the estimated direct spend into the economy is over €2 million."
In 2013, the Port of Cork is scheduled to handle 62 cruise liners in total. Already the Port is undertaking a targeted commercial and marketing drive to secure cruise bookings for 2014, 2015 and 2016 through direct and indirect promotion of our region and attractions.
Calls for 2014 are looking very positive so far, however Captain McCarthy pointed out: "We must never as a Port or region become complacent with the current cruise business. It's essential everyone works together to ensure the cruise business in Cork continues to thrive."
