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HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF AS THE QUEEN VICTORIA RETURNS TO
BELFAST
THE Queen Victoria cruise liner sailed into Belfast this
morning, no fewer than 151 years after her famous name sake visited
in person.
Queen Victoria granted Belfast its City status
in 1888, and today nearly 2,000 passengers were welcomed ashore by
the City’s first citizen the Lord Mayor of Belfast Patrick
Convery.
The maiden visit to the city by Queen Victoria
is further evidence of the success of the Cruise Belfast initiative
which sees Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau (BVCB) and
Belfast Harbour working together in attracting international cruise
companies to Belfast and Northern Ireland.
The Queen Victoria is the 19th of
37 cruise ships visiting Belfast this year and by the end of the
cruise season in October the city will have welcomed almost 63,000
passengers and crew.
Not quite reflecting history, the Queen
Victoria has followed the QE2 (Queen Elizabeth the 2nd)
into Belfast as she visited the port on her farewell voyage in
2008. Owned by one of the World’s most famous cruise lines,
Cunard, Queen Victoria is the second largest ‘Cunarder ‘ever built
at 964 feet long and 106 feet wide with features such as a theatre
with private boxes, a library with 6,000 books, a museum, art
gallery spa and swimming pool. Passengers can even avail of
fencing classes as it was reputed that Prince Albert was an
enthusiast!
Anne McMullan, BVCB Director of
Communications, says that the fact that cruise companies continue
to add Belfast to their programmes and invest in the local economy
is significant.
“The Cruise Belfast Initiative consistently
succeeds in attracting more ships to include Belfast and Northern
Ireland within their cruise itineraries. Despite the economic
recession, the cruise market continues to grow globally, attracting
a more diverse range of cruise visitor. It has become an
integral part of Belfast’s tourism offering as it supports jobs and
services through the tours being provided. Today, dozens of
luxury coaches will transport passengers across Belfast and
Northern Ireland benefiting local businesses including coach
companies, tour guides, visitor attractions, cafes and
retailers. This year will see 37 cruise ships dock in
Belfast, with 63,000 passengers and crew, a huge increase from the
2 welcomed in 1999.
Tony McAuley, Commercial Officer at Belfast
Harbour added, “We realise the value of the cruise line industry,
not only to Belfast but to the national economy, and not only
tourism but to the wider maritime economy. It’s therefore
imperative that the Cruise Belfast initiative builds on each year’s
successes as it generates in the region of £15m annually to the
economy.
“It is always exciting to see ships make their
maiden voyage into Belfast, but we are equally happy to see a large
number of cruise ships making repeat visits to Belfast.
Belfast Harbour is proud to provide a gateway to Belfast and
Northern Ireland to the tens of thousands of visitors who come
ashore, as they make a significant financial contribution to the
local economy during their visit. For many passengers, this
is their first visit to Belfast and Northern Ireland and the
positive experiences which they will take home with them bring
further benefits in the longer term.”
Other cruise ships due to dock in Belfast this
summer include Princess Cruises, Fred Olsen, Holland America,
Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Crystal and
Saga.
The Cruise Belfast Initiative is a partnership
between BVCB and Belfast Harbour. BVCB is a public/private
partnership funded by Belfast City Council, NITB and the private
sector and is supported by Diageo NI.
The Cruise Belfast Initiative is a partnership between BVCB and
the Port of Belfast. BVCB is a public/private partnership funded by
Belfast City Council, NITB and the private sector and is supported
by Diageo NI.