Tourism push 'key' to expanding cruise trade at Scrabster
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MORE needs to be done to promote Scrabster as a tourist hub, but progress has been made in attracting visitors to the area.
That was the view of Willie Calder, chairman of Scrabster Harbour Trust, speaking ahead of the port preparing to welcome its first cruise ship of the holiday season.
Almost 800 passengers will arrive on P&O’s Adonia when it berths at the deep-water Queen Elizabeth Pier on May 24, the first of nine cruise ships heading for Scrabster between May and July and bringing more than 3000 visitors.
While Mr Calder is content with the figure, he believes tourism bosses need to do more promote the far north as a destination that will encourage cruise companies to include the port in more of its schedules. Mr Calder said: "We are relatively pleased – there has been a bit of growth and the trade has been continual, but the growth will not happen overnight.
"For the port to be a success, we have to sell itineraries to them. We need to put things together."
He added: "We see it as a growth industry with a lot of potential.
"If we want people to come back and visit Scrabster, Caithness and the north, it is not just the one season you have to look at.
"You have to look at the last six to seven years where there have been multiples of passengers for each season and hopefully there will be return visits with their families to benefit local community."
Representatives from the port authority will be heading to Seatrade Europe in Hamburg in September, an annual convention for the cruise and river cruise industry to promote Scrabster as a tourist port.
Mr Calder said the number of ferries choosing to stop from mainland Europe and Ireland on their way to Scandinavia was an encouraging sign and it was a market it was actively pursuing.
"There is a renewed interest in the European and Scandinavian markets and it’s encouraging to see this happening," he said.
"We have to sell what we have in the county and there needs to be more work done.
"If you have thousands of passengers visiting Caithness over a 10-year period, it is worth working at and it will introduce a few new faces with the hope a certain percentage will come back."
Mr Calder said: "There needs to be an emphasis on itineraries and excursions to convince operators this is a worthwhile place coming to."
Scrabster has already benefited from developments in the oil and gas industry with Norwegian firm NorSea to create a new supply base at the port which will attract 40 to 60 new companies.
Thurso Community Council chairman Bob Earnshaw agreed more needed to be done to promote west Caithness to the tourist market and said the cruise ship market could also play a part in boosting the economy.
"It is an important part of the economy to encourage the cruise ships to come to Scrabster – the thing is to get suitable transport to get them from the port into Thurso into the town and beyond.
"A lot of tourists go the Castle of Mey and we would like to see more done in Thurso itself for these passengers to visit and enjoy.
"More promotion needs to be done on this but this needs to be done for all aspects of tourism and not just the cruise ship sector."
