The World sailed into the Port of Tyne (POT), north east England, on June 10 for the first time. Andrew Moffat, chief executive officer PoT, said: “The fact The World is paying a visit to the Port of Tyne is testament to our region’s rich heritage and vibrant city culture ... It is a fantastic coup to have The World here.”
During an overnight stay residents will be visiting the Angel of the North, Durham Cathedral and Castle, Hadrian’s Wall and some will be going to Edinburgh Waverley to catch the Flying Scotsman.
In 2010 cruise and ferry passengers contributed more than £44m (E49.6m) in tourist spend to the North East economy. This year the port is expecting 37 cruiseship calls. The first of the season was from 160m-long Athena on May 12. Companies calling include Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Saga, P&O Cruises and Holland America Line (HAL).
HAL’s Eurodam returned to the port on June 12 bringing 2,100 passengers. Moffat said: “A cruise like Eurodam adds an estimated £1m [E1.1m] per cruise call to the regional economy, and the good news is that it is set to retun in 2012.”
Steven Harrison, chief operating officer PoT, commented: “We have weathered the impact of the recession of 2009 and we are now looking forward to the potential of a record year in 2012.”
Investment to improve the facilities have encouraged operators to return for second and third years. In 2012 “operators are looking to try out new destinations such as the Mediterranean in addition to the well-established Scandinavian and Baltic routes”.
The port is one of only five in the UK offering berths of up to 325m in length.
