It is set to be a bumper year for cruise tourism on the Cork coastline, with an increasing number of small harbours, such as Youghal, Ballycotton and Kinsale, attracting cruise passengers.
The Port of Cork, which manages Cobh and Bantry ports, said the business will be worth close to €20 million to the region this year, and its potential has yet to be fully realised.
Youghal is the latest Cork coastal town to join Baltimore, Kinsale and Ballycotton on the itinerary for small, expedition ships that can anchor in the harbour and tender passengers ashore.
Last week, it welcomed Le Bellot, a luxury liner operated by French cruise line Ponant, which can carry 184 passengers and 110 crew.
Both Cork County Council and the local Chamber of Tourism and Development hope cruise passengers will now become regular visitors to the historic east Cork town.
Mayor of the County of Cork Councillor Mary Linehan Foley said the town pulled out all the stops to welcome the passengers.
“This boat (tender) behind us ferried people in and out all day long. They visited Youghal, there was one small bus that went to Midleton Distillery.
“The rest stayed in Youghal. There wasn’t a seat in a restaurant in the town … for people to sit and have a coffee; it was buzzing.
“There’s another one next week, we are hoping it will be continuous, that Youghal will be included (on cruise itineraries) along with Bantry, Kinsale and Ballycotton,” Ms Foley said.
President of Youghal Chamber of Tourism and Development Kay Curtin said they knew the town’s potential and saw smaller cruise liners who could ferry people in via tender “as a great opportunity”.
It took two years of planning.
She said another liner will dock today and “going forward…then next year, there is one in May that is already booked. I know, it is a small season start-up – but it is great, we are delighted.”
Cobh will see 94 cruise liners by the time the season finishes in October.
Managed by the Port of Cork Company (PoCC), Cobh is the country’s only designated cruise terminal with large liners able to berth a stone’s throw from the town.
In 1991, it registered 7,000 cruise passengers in the town. Last year, it was almost 200,000, with the transatlantic port welcoming 104 liners.
PoCC Commercial Manager David Browne said: “Year on year we are building our business, and that includes Bantry, which comes under our remit, which is for smaller vessels, more boutique, which there is a growing market now for, as well.”
He said what has underpinned their success is all the ports working together.
“We are all working under the umbrella of Cruise Ireland from ports north and south, so we are giving it an all-Ireland approach with regards to our colleagues in Belfast and Derry, Galway, Dún Laoghaire and Dublin, who have recently rejoined Cruise Ireland, and Waterford. So, everybody (is) working together.
“There is not much competition with regard to the ports in the cruise sector because if one gets a call, it is likely we are going to get one the day before or the day after, so working together in that respect is very positive for attracting cruise vessels.”
Research carried out by the PoCC indicates that the cruise sector will be worth up to €20 million to the local economy this year, with passengers spending on average €80 each, and the crew €30 each.
Mr Browne believes a recent memorandum of understanding signed recently with Cruise Britain, which aims to promote Ireland and the British Isles as a ‘cruising region’, will see this sector continue to grow.
For the town of Cobh, the cruise liner business has been transformative.
Cobh and Harbour Chamber President Toddy Stafford said the liners bring “a fantastic footfall to the town of Cobh”.
“Last year’s figures there were 180,000 passengers came off those liners; the vast majority would spend time in town here.
“There are day trips organised, they visit the likes of the Jameson Heritage Centre, carry out to Blarney and further afield – it is a significant spend.
“It was worth €17 million to the local economy last year. Last year there were 104 liners, this year the liners are down slightly, maybe in the region of 94 – a small drop – nevertheless, it is a significant footfall landed here in Cobh. The local economy does exceptionally well out of it”, Mr Stafford said.
And he said what they are finding is that people are making return visits.
“What we are also finding is that we are not just getting the benefit from the cruise passengers immediately, but they are making return visits where they are staying longer, so it is promoting Cork as a tourist destination for longer trips.”
Irish ports will welcome around 300 cruise ships this year, bringing with them tourists from across the globe and a boost to regional economies.
