CruiseForth project buoyant after huge funding boost

investment: Scottish Enterprise has contributed £79,000 to scheme

An award-winning project to bring more tourists into Fife has received a huge funding boost.

CruiseForth, a grassroots initiative to stimulate local business engagement with the growing cruise market on the Forth, has been awarded £79,000 by Scottish Enterprise.

It comes ahead of the 2017 cruise season which is predicted to feature a 40% increase in passenger numbers from ships visiting the Forth and Tay.

A total of 122 ships are due to deliver more than 145,000 passengers to Rosyth, Queensferry, Leith, Newhaven and Dundee – a huge rise from the 89 liners which dropped anchor last year.

Montrose Port is also due to attract more pleasure ships this summer.

The two-year funding, combined with an additional £10,000 from local partners, will be used to develop businesses’ awareness of opportunities to engage with the multi-million-pound cruise industry which is attracted to east central Scotland each year.

The first of a series of seminars has involved 60 businesses meeting with cruise excursion companies. New opportunities in Edinburgh, across the Lothians, Borders and Fife have been promoted.

Other elements of the project will explore improved transport integration and digital information.

The new initiative, labelled Project Crystallise, will extend its reach to businesses across Tayside, Forth Valley and the Borders, reflecting the growth of ship visits to the Forth and to Dundee, where 14 cruise ships will visit in 2017.

Scottish Enterprise’s Danny Cusick said: “The Forth cruise market continues to deliver an impressive rate of growth and this project provides a critical service in enabling the nearby tourism destinations to benefit from the influx of visitors.”

CruiseForth chairwoman Helen Law added it had already enjoyed great success in connecting local businesses across east central Scotland with the cruise ships which arrive in the Forth.

Robert Mason, head of cruise at Forth Ports, said: “The 25% year-on-year growth in ship arrivals for 2017, involving 150,000 passengers demonstrates the importance of this sector.“

Booking for 2018 are already said to be looking strong.

There is expected to be a 40% increase in passenger numbers from ships visiting the Forth and Tay this year.