The month long campaign is aimed at travel agents, cruise lines, industry partners and consumers. Despite speaking to multiple audiences all activity will have one common objective; to create awareness of cruise holidays.
In advance of the kick off this Saturday, the CLIA team has been undertaking a nationwide tour of the UK, in what CLIA has coined the Cruise Relay.
Taking place from September 23-30, Andy Harmer, CLIA Europe vp operations and Adele Foster, events and training manager have been travelling the length and breadth of the UK, from Kirkwall right down to Portsmouth, visiting ten locations over the course of the eight day tour.
The Cruise Relay reached the Port of Tyne’s International Passenger Terminal yesterday. In 2016, the Port of Tyne celebrated a record number of cruise calls with 43 cruise ship visits. Next year a new record of 60 cruise calls is expected.
A cruise from the Port of Tyne provides easy access to Norway and Russia as well as to the warmer climes of the Canary Islands, The Azores, Portugal, Morocco and Spain.
Harmer said: 'It’s crucial that we meet with our cruise partners up and down the country to make sure they’re up to speed on the latest developments and more importantly, to show our appreciation for their ongoing support.
“Cruise holidays are growing in popularity year on year, and cruises that depart from the UK are on the rise too, now accounting for 47% of the market (840,000 passengers in 2015). We hope that the Cruise Relay will showcase the importance that our regional cruise ports play in the growth of the cruise industry and in their contribution to UK and Irish tourism.'
The Cruise Relay hit the road at Dover on September 23, visited Kirkwall and Ullapool September 26, Tyne on the 28th and is today in Southampton and Bristol and ends at Liverpool and Portsmouth on September 30.
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