By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Port of Cork has become the first Irish port to join the Atlantic Alliance, a marketing association, which promotes 18 cruise ports located on the western coast of Europe.
Located in the North Sea, Cork will be a key strategic member of the Alliance, enabling the association to establish a Euro-Atlantic destination.
As Ireland’s only dedicated cruise port, Cork’s Cobh terminal expects to handle a total of 61 vessels and more than 100,000 passengers and crew by the end of the 2013 season. The port aims to increase turnaround and overnight calls by 2018, when it hopes to handle 80 cruise visits a year.
“Cork is home to some of Ireland’s most famous tourist attractions such as Blarney Castle and Jameson Whiskey Distillery and also serves as a convenient gateway for visiting the many picturesque towns and sights of West Cork, Waterford and Killarney,” said Captain Michael McCarthy, commercial manager at the Port of Cork.
“We are delighted to be joining Atlantic Alliance in promoting Cork as a ‘must see’ destination on Ireland’s south coast.”
The Atlantic Alliance now covers eight countries.