Liners are starting to cruise passengers into West Cork

A county council-led plan to boost the economy of West Cork through encouraging more cruise liner passengers into the area is beginning to pay off.

Three years ago, senior council officials became concerned the number of small cruise liners visiting Glengarriff and Bantry was in decline and they decided on a major marketing campaign to boost visits.

They lobbied cruise line companies and appointed tourism consultant Lorraine Grainger as an ambassador for the project.

She set about organising shore excursions for visitors in the West Cork region which included more than the obvious locations such as Bantry House and Garnish Island.

She quickly realised the potential of adventure and culture tourism and successfully sold the concept to cruise line companies.

“We set about attracting cruise calls to West Cork and shore excursions from cruise ships coming into Cobh and other harbours to the West Cork region,” Ms Grainger said.

“Larger cruise liners visiting Cobh now sell their passengers day trips to part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

“They take them to Kinsale, the Old Head, Timoleague and Clonakilty. The trips are very well received by the passengers,” she said.

The marketing campaign has also been successful in attracting new cruise liner visits to West Cork.

Bantry House

Next week, she said, a German cruise liner Bremen is due to call to Bere Island.

“She will anchor offshore and her passengers will come in on zodiacs. They will visit the heritage centre where they will be welcomed by locals and will then go on cycling tours or guided walking tours of the island.”

The crew will also come onshore to sample some other excursions which the marketing team hopes to sell to the cruise line company.

“These will include working with sheep, learning traditional stone wall building and turf cutting,” Ms Grainger said.

A prestigious double visit will be made by National Geographic’s Orion to Kinsale on June 13 and 20.

“The passengers will undertake a walking tour of the town, go to a reception in the yacht club which is being organised by the local chamber of commerce, and be entertained by musicians on the pier.”

The two ships are smaller, expedition ships with about 100 passengers onboard but, by virtue of their size, they can come into ports that larger vessels cannot access.

Bere Island

Ms Grainger said next year Holland America line’s Prisendam will visit Glengarriff along with several other vessels.

“This is a great breakthrough for us because it’s the first time we had an American-based ship visit the region.

“Some of the ships arriving next year will have up to 600 passengers onboard so that will be a great economic boost,” she said.