A bumper cruise season for Bantry

AN impressive total of 10 cruise liners called to Bantry this summer. 

Bantry harbour and Glengarriff can accommodate smaller boutique and expedition style cruise liners whose passengers tend to look for an active cruise. 

With that in mind, Bantry Bay Port Company has developed a cruise strategy to grow the business in West Cork. 

The smaller cruise liner market or ‘expedition’ market has huge growth potential and it is this market that Bantry hopes to capitalise on over the next few years, with the guidance of the Port of Cork.  

There is only one more cruise ship left to visit the Port of Cork in December, for what has been a record cruise season with 100 cruise liners visiting in 2019. In total over 243,000 passengers and crew visited the region with many passengers visiting Cork for the first time.

 Port of Cork chief executive Brendan Keating said the Port as hugely proud of the increase in cruise tourism and growing the business to 100 calls has surpassed all expectations. 

‘On average, cruise ship passengers spend €81 during their visit to Cork while crew spend approximately €29,’ added Mr Keating.