A new partnership has been launched between three leading North East businesses that is aiming to attract more cruise ships to the region.
The Port of Tyne is working with Newcastle International Airport and the NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI) on the Cruise North East England project.
Visitor attractions such as Beamish, Alnwick Castle and Arbeia Roman Fort are also involved in the scheme that hopes to support the recovery of the region’s tourism economy after it suffered significant damage during the Covid pandemic.
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Organisations involved hope that by strengthening relationships between cruise operators and the North East, Cruise North East England can boost the regional economy and make the tourism sector more resilient to future shocks.
Before the pandemic, the Port of Tyne typically welcomed around 60 cruise calls and an average of 700,000 passengers through its international passenger terminal at North Shields each year.
Cruises stopped in 2020 and around 25 returned last year, but it’s hoped to return to previous levels this year.
Kate O’Hara, commercial director at the Port of Tyne, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with our partners Newcastle International Airport and NewcastleGateshead Initiative in a joint approach to promote cruise in the region. The North East has so many unique locations to offer with two world heritage sites right on our doorstep.”
Kate Hall, marketing and communications manager at Newcastle International Airport, added: “The North East region has so much to offer inbound tourists. The Visit North East England brand was developed in 2018 to market our fantastic region in overseas markets, to support the work of the North East’s destination management organisations and grow the number of international tourists visiting the region.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the Port of Tyne and NewcastleGateshead Initiative on this strategically important project, which aligns closely with Visit North East England’s aims. We were delighted to be able to provide our website as a platform to host the Cruise North East content and we look forward to working with more of the region’s suppliers as we grow the offering available over the coming months and years.”
