As before, Cruise Ireland will once again be present at this year’s Cruise Shipping Miami, showcasing all the unique attractions of this enchanted Celtic country, but with an added flavour on this occasion. Alan Lam reports.
Ireland’s cruise tourism has been growing steadily in recent years, attracting increasing number of cruise calls. 2014 was a record years in terms of ship calls to its ports. To maintain this momentum, Cruise Ireland is sending a huge contingent of its members to this year’s Miami gathering.
Happily, for the first time in a long while, St Patrick’s Day falls in the beginning of the event. Cruise Ireland has seized this opportunity to celebrate this day by putting on a music and dance extravaganza at its booth between 3 pm and 5 pm on the 17th of March. More than 100 special invitations have been sent out to its loyal clients and friends.
For the last few years, Cruise Ireland has been sharing a stand with Cruise Wales at this event as a part of the Celtic Ways. This year, it will have its own booth, thus forging its own distinct identity and strengthening the Ireland brand.
“Like a few other countries in Europe,” said Niamh McCarthy, Managing Director of Excursions Ireland, a key founding member of Cruise Ireland, “Ireland has had a hard time economically in recent years; but the cruise industry has continued to growth throughout. 2014 was an excellent year for cruise tourism in Ireland. The sector contributed €40 million directly to the economy. We expect an even better year in 2015.”
The membership of Cruise Ireland is made up of ports, ground handlers, suppliers and many others involved in the cruise business. All of them work tirelessly throughout the year in promoting the country as a cruise destination. Indeed, through their collective efforts, Ireland has become a popular cruise destination. Princess Cruises alone makes over 30 calls a year to its ports. “Cruise is now one of the biggest segments of tourism in Ireland, attracting a myriad of nationalities” said Niamh McCarthy. “We now hire Russian and Chinese guides. It wasn’t like this five years ago.”
To hail this success, Cruise Ireland promises an Irish whiskey laced merrymaking on St Patrick’s Day in Miami. It aims to be light-hearted and to show the world what Ireland is famous for – hospitality.