Fewer cruise ships visit island

Eleven cruise ships visited Holyhead in 2007

Fewer cruise ships will be calling at Holyhead on Anglesey this summer.

Council officials blame the fall on the port losing out to a new berthing terminal and European Capital of Culture events in Liverpool.

Five ships carrying 3,700 passengers, are due to visit Holyhead in the next few months, compared with 11 ships last year, with 15,000 passengers.

Last year's visits injected an estimated £1.2m into the north Wales economy.

The council says it wants to improve facilities at Holyhead.

Sue Thomas, Anglesey council's cruise ship events co-ordinator, blamed the downturn on the opening of a new berthing terminal at Liverpool, coupled with the city's programme of arts and entertainment for its year as European Capital of Culture.

I'm confident that Holyhead has the potential to become Wales' premier cruise ship destination Dewi Lloyd, Holyhead regeneration manager

She said it underlined the need for similar facilities at Holyhead so that liners could berth at the port instead of having to anchor near the entrance and ferry passengers ashore.

"If we could have these facilities by 2010, I reckon we could get 20-plus ships calling here," she added.

Studies have already been carried out and more are in the pipeline before any application for funding can be drawn up.

Officials are optimistic that more cruise ships will return to Holyhead next year.

Ms Thomas added: "Liverpool has a very strong programme of events as European Capital of Culture this year and this is having a big impact, but our provisional bookings for 2009 are already up on this year."

Dewi Lloyd, Holyhead regeneration manager with Anglesey council, said there were annual fluctuations in the number of cruise ships calling at the port.

"With funds being sought for developing a new berthing facility for cruise liners I'm confident that Holyhead has the potential to become Wales' premier cruise ship destination," he added.