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ISSUE 300 | APRIL/MAY 2019 WIN
A Pair of Return Flights to Amsterdam with KLM
See Page 27...
More local departures on way B
ELFAST’S long awaited and much heralded cruise terminal designed to cope with the dramatic increase in cruise ships is inching closer to becoming a reality.
It’s understood that in the absence of a functioning Executive civil servants have taken the decision to proceed with the development fi rst announced way back in 2013 - then the cost was estimated at around £15m.
But it’s also hoped that the much needed new terminal will encourage leading cruise lines to off er more Belfast departures - at the moment Cruise & Maritime has three Belfast departures this year, with one by MSC’s Meraviglia.
A Spokesperson for Belfast Harbour said: “We welcome the decision by DfI to give planning approval for a new purpose- built cruise ship facility, at D3, Airport Road.
“This decision will allow us to create facilities which will support Belfast and Northern Ireland’s rapidly growing popularity as a cruise destination. “Cruise & Maritime is also planning partial embarkations from Belfast in 2020 as part of its UK-wide regional strategy. This is a sector of the cruise market which Belfast Harbour is keen to support and develop.”
CRUISE TERMINAL BOOST
Belfast Harbour submitted a planning application last year for a “multi-purpose facility for berthing of cruise ships”, an application which is due to be discussed shortly by Belfast City Council, before a fi nal decision by the Department for Infrastructure.
August last year was the busiest month for cruise ship calls to Belfast, with 24 docking in August alone, bringing thousands of visitors to places like Belfast city centre, the Causeway Coast and the Ards Peninsula.
Cruise ships brought 40,000 passengers and crew into the capital in 2018 – a huge boost to the local economy. And this number is set to grow further with Cruise Belfast - the partnership between Belfast Harbour and Visit Belfast - announcing that this year 285,000 visitors aboard 151 cruise ships are due to call in Belfast, an increase of 31 per cent on the 115 visits during the 2018 cruise season.
Michael Robinson, Belfast Harbour’s Commercial Director, said: “Every year Northern Ireland’s tourism off er continues to grow, attracting new cruise lines and ensuring that long-established port customers continue to develop their presence in this market.
Contd on Page 3... Northern Ireland Travel News marks 300th!
THIS issue, the April/May edition, is another milestone in the continuing success of Northern Ireland Travel News... and the Northern Ireland Travel Industry. When the paper was launched at the Holidayworld Exhibition in the King’s Hall in January 1990; it carried a lead story that 110,000 package holiday seats were on sale from Belfast. And ABTA spokesperson Joe Laffi n warned then that was too many!!
Now, more than 29 years later, the paper continues to provide the lastest Travel News and features from a Northern Ireland perspective. But today on Page 4 it
carries a news story that one operator alone has almost half a million package and airline seats on the market from Belfast... proof indeed that the industry, and the paper’s, success have gone hand in hand. As well as being available at all travel agencies, and other outlets such as airports, ferry terminals, leading hotels and tourist offi ces in its hard copy version, and at selected newsagents, the paper is now available to read online at the Northern Ireland Travel News website
www.nitravelnews.com
Today however the title has moved with the times
and provides news on an hour by hour basis on its website and off ers twice weekly eshots to the Travel Trade and the Travelling Public.
Northern Ireland Travel News has also expanded into events’ organisation and also runs the highly successful two-day Big Travel Trade Event every year at The Hilton, Templepatrick. Running alongside it is the successful Travel Trade Golf Classic. Another hugely popular event on the calendar is the NI Travel and Tourism Awards which are held at the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in Newcastle every October.
See Pages 22-25...
OUT AND ABOUT FOR EASTER... Devenish Island on Lower Lough Erne will welcome its fi rst real surge in visitors of 2019 over the coming weeks. But Visitor Attractions up and down the Province, including all National Trust properties, will be open to the public for the fi rst time this year with Easter Egg hunts, egg rolling and all sorts of family activities. Turn to pages 30-32 for your Easter Holiday Guide
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