Cruise liners worth €46m each year to Munster

CRUISE liner business is worth an annual €46 million to the Munster region, but the Port of Cork is determined to up that figure with an innovative marketing campaign.

Port of Cork chairman, Dermot O’Mahoney said a UCC study showed a very healthy economic spin-off from the 52 cruise liners visiting the port this year, and the money was keeping an estimated 331 people in full-time jobs.

Mr O’Mahoney said the port was anxious to increase its cruise ship capacity and already 50 ships had confirmed visits for the 2009.

The port has spent €70,000 on a mobile tourism project, to be unveiled within two weeks.

A 45ft steel container has been converted into a mobile heritage centre.

Entitled the “Exiles Project”, it will have a restored Victorian shipping office and the interior of a convict ship from the 1700s.

Historian Una O’Connor said: “It will be very atmospheric and will be especially interesting to people coming off cruise ships. We also hope it will attract a number of schools.”

Port of Cork commercial manager Michael McCarthy also hopes to ship it to Ellis Island in the US, where the first Irish emigrants set foot on American shores.