The Cruise Wales Planner, Discover Holyhead and Anglesey Secret Attractions
With a greater number of travellers seeking to cruise Wales as well as other parts of the UK, there seems an increasing chance that Wales will soon catch up with the long established European cruise ports as a desired destination in the popular leisure cruise market. In the British Parliament a special committee of legislators focusing on Wales have produced a report with such conclusions. The report indicates that the UK cruise market enjoyed strong growth over the last decade or so, and it recommends that efforts be made to secure more growth in cruise ship arrivals to strengthen Welsh port communities and economies.
Any keen cruise travellers should note that before they make advanced bookings to cruise Wales there is currently a slight difficulty with providing adequate facilities for berthing and Welsh ports infrastructure to service the fast growing fleet of big ships cruising European waters needs to be upgraded. Meanwhile there is a campaign called the “Celtic Wave” led by Anglesey, which has a budget of around $2m and covers ports in Ireland and Wales, with the aim of attracting more cruise visitors to these ports and their wider regional economies.
The Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff has called on the UK government to support extra infrastructure investment to bring these ports, including Holyhead, Anglesey, Milford Haven and Swansea, up to the standards demanded by the cruise liner companies. According to the findings of ther House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee, there is significant potential to boost local port economies and their regional hinterlands by maximising opportunities for people to cruise Wales as part of the UK cruising experience.
Looking further ahead the outlook is encouraging for Welsh ports to catch up with Baltic ports where there is already a popular cruise market. From Newport, Swansea, Milford haven all the way to Holyhead in the North West, ports in Wales can be the drivers of economic regeneration when they attract travellers to cruise Wales. The summer of 2009 saw the first cruise ship visit Newport, and in 2010 nearby Celtic Manor will host the Ryder Cup. The cruise passengers from Newport had the chance to see Cardiff attractions including the Millennium Centre and the castle.
Likewise on arrival at Holyhead Port on Anglesey, cruise visitors can see some great sites such as the UN World Heritage Castles of Wales at Beaumaris and Caernarfon, Wales’s only working windmill at Llynnon, Llanddeusant, and South Stack Lighthouse near Holyhead. And you cannot forget the 125- mile long island coastal path set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the remarkable Oriel Art Gallery and Seawatch centre at Moelfre.
Financial support is available from the Welsh Assembly Government to help strengthen the berth infrastructure for the anticipated increase in cruise ship visits to Holyhead, particularly for making the former aluminium smelter suitable for docking. This jetty provides an excellent sheltered berth and is ideal for cruise ship passenger disembarkation. On completion this upgrade will see the Holyhead Port outer harbour pier strong enough to take mega liners such as the 285 m long Westerdam, which carries 2,000 passengers.
The future outlook looks very promising for potential UK cruise visitors planning to cruise Wales as part of their overall UK travel plans, and certainly Holyhead port will be ready to receive them as warmly as ever, as they embark upon their visits to the various sites of interest on and off the island.
Living on the beautiful island of Anglesey Wales in the UK, the author, David Phillips, manages an informative website covering local news and information. Discover more about planning to cruise Wales here to help make your vacation more pleasurable. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.
Tags: cruise, Cruises, cruising, Destinations, vacation
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November 21 2009 05:48 am | Cruises