Silver Wind, a ship belonging to cruise company Silversea Cruise Line, ended its cruise around Britain and Ireland in Dublin recently and for the first time picked up passengers in Ireland for the onward transatlantic journey to Boston. The visit was of interest to Dublin Docklands Development Authority, which recently received a feasibility study on the viability of cruise tourism to Dublin. The report was commissioned from Tourism and Transport Consult (TTC) in con junction with Bord Failte, Dublin Tourism, Dublin Corporation, Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Dublin Port.
It has identified the value to Dublin of cruise tourism in 1999 at £4.2 million, which added some £4.1 million to GNP, generated 191 jobs in the economy, and provided the government with £2.2 million in tax revenue. Visitors spent a total of £3 million on goods. While the contribution is small in terms of overall impact, this segment of the market is considered very attractive since it has an exceptionally high daily expenditure.
The master plan for the Authority states that it will "explore with Dublin Port the feasibility of providing a suitable terminal for cruise liners within the Port". The report from TTC, however, concludes that significant growth is not dependent on the prior provision of a cruise liner berthing facility and growth is possible by promoting Dublin as a turnaround port. This is exactly what happened last week on Silver Wind. The main recommendation of the report is that the DDDA should work with industry partners to develop the business. Peter Coyne, chief executive of DDDA, sees the way forward through the establishment of a combined marketing group. "The marketing group will be more operational, promoting Dublin to cruise lines and looking at ways of getting people to and from the port."
Mr Coyne also envisages a cruise reception centre somewhere in the city, perhaps in a hotel, where passengers can be checked in and brought to and from their ships. By the end of 2001 there will be three suitable hotels in the DDDA area. Turnaround passengers could comfortably be accommodated in Dublin's increasing stock of hotels. Transport has been identified as a problem for cruise passengers, with the lack of availability of taxis and other public transport from the port to the city. A cruise reception centre would improve access.
North European cruising has experienced very rapid growth in comparison with other cruise destinations, and capacity in Northern Europe now accounts for 7.5 per cent of worldwide capacity, up from 4.4 per cent in 1995. Demand comes mostly from American clients looking for new, interesting cultural destinations with varied ports of call. However the season is short and concentrated in the summer months.
Dublin is ranked ninth in Northern Europe in terms of number of cruise ship calls, with 37 calls and 22,000 passengers last year. Access to Ireland, particularly from the US, has increased significantly in recent years with flights to Dublin from seven US cities. Copenhagen is the most important port in Northern Europe in terms of cruise ship calls and has achieved substantial growth in passenger numbers due to its success as a cruise terminus for long-haul itineraries. Copenhagen does not have a dedicated cruise terminal, but has recently announced the development of a new facility at the port.
