PRESS RELEASE

20 September 2010

CRUISE PASSENGER FIGURES CONTINUE TO RISE FOR BRITISH PORTS

STORNOWAY SEES GROWTH OF 30%

National Cruise Week (19 – 26 Sept) sees cruising firmly established as one of the most popular holiday choices with British ports celebrating record figures.  2009 saw 448,000 passengers visiting a UK port, a 7% increase on the previous year, while the number of passengers joining their cruise ship in the UK increased to 733,000.  Both figures represent a near-doubling since 2003.

The port of Stornoway saw a growth of 30% in 2010 and has welcomed more than sixteen different cruise lines this year.  This growth in Stornoway in 2010 amounted to more than 9,000 passengers and 30 cruise ship visits, including new calls for three liners.

‘These figures show the strength of the cruise market for British ports and the potential for the future’, said Kate O’Hara, Chair of CruiseBritain. ‘Cruising has an important economic benefit for every port that welcomes cruise ships.  In 2008, direct spending by cruise lines and their passengers reached €2,263 million in Britain and underpinned more than 49,000 UK jobs.  Figures released this week by the European Cruise Council show that 4.8 million passengers joined their cruise in Europe in 2009, spending €1.3 billion on services (+7.6% on 2008) and €1.45 billion (+1.7%) while visiting ports’.

‘With additional ships coming on stream, cruise lines will continue to look for new areas to sail to and Britain is well-placed to take advantage of the strong cruise trend.  We have the culture and heritage, cities and scenery that passengers look for and we have the variety of ports to accommodate ships of all sizes’, added O’Hara.

British cruise passengers are expected to top 1.65 million in 2010 - more than a seven percent increase on 2009.  Plus, new figures from the European Cruise Council show significant growth in the overall European cruise market which now provides 30% of the world cruise market.  2010 sees the launch of 14 new cruise ships including P&O Cruises’ Azura, Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Epic and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse, with another 16 launching by the end of 2012.

Cruise Ship “Silver Cloud” berthed in Stornoway in Sept 2010

ENDS

Note to Editors:

CruiseBritain is a joint initiative between industry, the Passenger Shipping Association and VisitBritain.  It is focused on promoting cruise holidays as an integral part of the British leisure travel market and works to create an effective, consistent and visible cruise destination brand for Britain whilst respecting regional identities.  The membership-based organisation includes a network of British ports plus the service providers that combine to provide a seamless visitor experience.

Stornoway Port Authority is a Public Independent Statutory Body holding Trust Port Status and is governed by local and national legislation. The Port Authority is controlled by an independent appointed board. There are no shareholders or owners, and any surplus is reinvested in the port and facilities for the benefit of all users and stakeholders. There are over 100 ports in the UK holding Trust Port Status.

Contact:

Ms A Jane Maciver, Chief Executive      TEL:       01851 702688

Stornoway Port Authority                       FAX:       01851 705714

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Stornoway                                              Web:       www.stornoway-portauthority

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