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150,000 tourists to cruise into Belfast in 2017

The Carribean Princess cruise ship will dock in Belfast a record 14 times this year. Picture by Declan Roughan
The Carribean Princess cruise ship will dock in Belfast a record 14 times this year. Picture by Declan Roughan The Carribean Princess cruise ship will dock in Belfast a record 14 times this year. Picture by Declan Roughan

NINETY cruise ships are expected to sail into Belfast this summer, marking an unprecedented tourism high for the city.

And when they dock, they'll bring with them 150,000 passengers and crew.

Among them will be the Caribbean Princess, a giant 4,600 passenger and crew capacity vessel which has strengthened its commitment to Belfast, scheduling a record 14 stops this year.

August will be the busiest cruise tourism month with 24 calls, including nine in just one week, while the first arrival, the Marco Polo, will dock on April 21.

The record cruise schedule for 2017 marks an unparalleled period of growth for city tourism and investment and highlights the city’s soaring appeal among cruise tourists from around the world, particularly the UK, Europe and North American markets.

Belfast is now the second busiest port of call in Ireland and is set to attract more cruise passengers than Liverpool in 2017.

Indeed by the end of this year almost 600 cruise ships will have visited Belfast Harbour since the first arrival in 1996.

Belfast Lord Mayor Brian Kingston said the news was a "further show of confidence" in the local tourism market.

"In less than a decade Belfast has become one of the most popular choices in Europe to visit for a short break and holiday destination. This reflects the huge appeal and interest in learning more about its culture and political history, and experiencing stand-out visitor attractions such as Titanic Belfast and Crumlin Road Gaol, learning more about the Game of Thrones and its locations or, going further afield, experiencing the Giant’s Causeway," he said.

Belfast Harbour’s commercial director Joe O'Neill said welcoming 88 ships in 2017 was a "tremendous endorsement".

"When we started pitching Belfast to cruise operators in the mid-1990s there was some scepticism about what could be achieved. This year, we’re welcoming a record number of visitors and vessels, including the 100th visit of a Princess Cruise ship, one of the best-regarded operators in the sector," he said.

Visit Belfast chief executive Gerry Lennon added: “Cruise is a highly-competitive and fast-growing global sector, so we work hard to entice operators and tourists here through a focused sales and marketing approach and by delivering a first-class welcome and visitor service when each cruise passenger or crew member comes ashore to this great city.”