By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Port of Tyne experienced a record year in 2012, with more than 62,000 passengers visiting North East England or departing from its international passenger terminal. The port’s success is set to continue in 2013, as it welcomes 32 cruise visits during the cruise season, including 11 transit and 21 turnaround calls.
“The Port of Tyne operates an award-winning International Passenger Terminal,” said Steven Harrison, the port’s chief operating officer. “Last year almost 600,000 passengers embarked on cruise and ferry holidays from the port, with more destinations on offer than ever before including cruises to the Western Mediterranean, Scandinavia and the Baltics.”
Crystal Cruises, Hurtigruten and Costa Cruises will all transit the port for the first time, while several cruise ships will make their inaugral visits, including Fred.Olsen’s Black Watch and MSC Cruises’ Magnifica .
The port’s cruise berth Northumbrian Quay can accommodate vessels up to 300m in length and up to 10m in draft, meaning it can receive 95 per cent of the world’s cruise ships. It was named as the UK’s best port by Cruise Critic and offers easy access to world heritage sites, castles and cathedrals, stately homes and gardens, miles of coastline and the city of Newcastle.
“The Port of Tyne is a fantastic gateway for North East England and it plays a significant role in attracting visitors to experience NewcastleGateshead’s vibrancy, culture, shopping and world-class attractions like Alnwick Castle and Alnwick Garden and Durham Cathedral,” said Sarah Stewart, chief executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, the destination marketing agency for the city. “We work hard to ensure that information about the destination is on hand for these international visitors on arrival so they have the very best experience possible.”
According to a recent study, cruise and ferry operations at the Port of Tyne contributes around £50 million, gross value added, to the economy of North East England, as well as indirectly supporting over 1,700 tourism-related jobs.
The Port of Tyne and NGI will exhibit at Cruise Shipping Miami from 12-14 March 2013 and aim to generate more cruise business for the North East.