The country is broke and chances are our budget might be revised again, but it’s nice to see that the cruise business is booming. Dublin Port bosses have announced that they are planning a €30million makeover in an attempt to bring more tourists to Dublin.
The Irish Independent reports that the company wants to build a new cruise ship terminal at Dublin Port that is large enough to hold two ships at a time. They believe that this move will grow the number of cruise liners that are currently visiting Ireland.
Despite the Costa Concordia disaster, cruise ships are still a popular holiday choice and 85 cruise ships arrived at Dublin last year alone. At present the ships currently dock in an area for cargo ships. Dublin Port believes a more welcoming atmosphere to Dublin will encourage tourists to explore the city while the ship is docked.
The company has said that the new facility will be opened by 2015 and that it would boost the cruise ship trade, which is worth €50million a year to the Irish economy.
“There is an increase in cruise bookings with more queries coming in,” said Claudia Pabeschitz from Cruise Holidays.
“It’s not just for a certain age group, and it’s a lot more affordable. Ships are being upgraded constantly, they’re adding facilities all the time, and when you compare the price of the cruise with a sun holiday, it really is attractive,” she added.
The proposed terminal is expected to be built on the north quays, near the O2 venue.
“The formation of Cruise Dublin will maximise the potential of cruise tourism, which is currently worth an estimated €50million,” said Dublin Chamber of Commerce spokesman, Aebhric McGibney.
However a small group of locals don’t see too pleased at the prospects. A handful were seen protesting the move yesterday, citing concerns about noise levels at the port.
As well as encouraging some economic growth, the cruise terminal will provide some much-needed jobs for Irish people. Do you think building a new terminal will be a good move? Or should the Chamber of Commerce be investing the money elsewhere?
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