The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-12250, in the name of Annabel Goldie, on Greenock ocean terminal. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes that the owners of Greenock’s cruise terminal have predicted that, in 2015, it will become the first port in Scotland to handle over 100,000 passengers, thus making it the busiest passenger port in the country; understands that, during the year, 56 ships, bringing a total of 108,866 passengers, are expected to call at Greenock Ocean Terminal and that this would represent seven more vessels than in 2014; believes that passenger numbers at Greenock have more than quadrupled over the last eight years; understands that it has been predicted that the Inverclyde economy will receive an £8.7 million boost from the expected record-breaking number of visitors; acknowledges that the cruise terminal, which is owned by Peel Ports, will be visited by ships such as The Royal Princess, The Regal Princess and the Queen Mary II as part of Cunard’s 175th anniversary celebrations; believes that breaking the 100,000-passenger barrier is a fantastic achievement and testament to the efforts made to enhance the experience of overseas visitors arriving at Greenock; notes the terminal works in partnership with the Inverclyde Tourist Group (ITG), which provides an ambassador service for the area by greeting passengers on arrival and offering what it considers vital information; understands that the ITG comprises of people from Inverclyde who are passionate about where they stay; believes that Greenock is ideally placed for overseas visitors and people from Scotland sailing from their own local port, and wishes everybody involved with the terminal every success.
17:05
I am delighted that my motion has been selected for debate and I thank everyone who has supported it. Greenock ocean terminal, in the beautiful Clyde estuary on Scotland’s west coast, offers a unique facility: a deepwater quay and modern quayside facilities. The natural deepwater port of Greenock offers a safe port for cruise ships of all sizes, and it is accessible 24/7, with no tidal or lock restrictions.
Greenock ocean terminal is a success story for Inverclyde and I am delighted to be able to debate it today. The terminal has arisen, like a phoenix, from the old Prince’s pier so beloved by the former passengers of the old Clyde steamers. I am indebted to the Greenock Telegraph for much of the information in my speech.
Peel Ports, which owns the cruise terminal, has predicted that, in 2015, it will become the first port in Scotland to handle more than 100,000 passengers, therefore making it the biggest and busiest passenger port in Scotland. During the year, 56 ships, transporting a total of 108,866 passengers, are expected to call at Greenock ocean terminal. That represents seven more vessels than in 2014.
The passenger numbers are interesting. They have more than quadrupled at Greenock over the past eight years. In 2007, more than 20,000 passengers passed through the terminal. Last year, the figure was in excess of 92,000. It has been predicted that the Inverclyde economy will receive an £8.7 million boost from the expected record-breaking number of tourists and visiting crew. Tourists and crew members who spend locally are a huge help to local businesses.
The terminal will be visited by state-of-the-art cruise ships the Royal Princess, the Regal Princess and the Queen Mary 2, as part of Cunard’s 175th anniversary celebrations. The first direct sailing from Scotland to the Caribbean, on the Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Black Watch, will depart Greenock in November on a 32-day round trip—if I am not here, Presiding Officer, you know where to look.
Breaking the 100,000 passenger barrier is an amazing achievement. Port Glasgow, Greenock and Gourock used to be synonymous with shipping to and from all parts of the world, not to mention the flotilla of Clyde steamers that plied locally. Changing patterns of marine transportation and tourism all brought their own challenges to that great waterway. However, the ocean terminal has found a niche. Proof of the efforts that have been made to develop and enhance the experience of overseas visitors arriving at Greenock is there for all to see.
The terminal works in partnership with the Inverclyde tourist group, which provides an ambassador service for the area by greeting cruise passengers on arrival. Because the terminal is a deepwater port, cruise ships berth alongside the quay and passengers disembark through a very pleasant and welcoming terminal and are met by members of the Inverclyde tourist group.
I visited the group in 2013 and was highly impressed. The group is from the Inverclyde area and was formed in 2001 to promote Inverclyde in a friendly and informal way. It is made up of volunteers and is a non-profit-making organisation.
Inverclyde tourist group members meet and greet cruise ship passengers and provide information on places of interest to visit, where to eat and drink, transport, local shopping, internet and telephone access, clan history and tartan. It also runs local coach tours on cruise call days.
Group members are proud to show tourists around this lovely part of the west of Scotland. I congratulate them on their first-class efforts. Their hard work was recognised when Greenock ocean terminal won the accolade of best cruise port reception in the world in 2013. I am delighted that the tourist group is there to sing the praises of Greenock and Inverclyde.
As a Bishopton resident, former Greenock academy pupil and “Waterloo Road” honorary head girl, I am very well aware of what the local area has to offer and how friendly and welcoming the local people are. On a glorious day, the views across the water from Greenock are quite simply stunning.
Inverclyde is a terrific part of Scotland, with shopping facilities, restaurants, cafes and pubs, and a variety of sporting facilities. There are excellent rail links and the area is served by the M8 motorway, which makes it easily accessible by car.
The Cruise Scotland website sums up why cruise ships are picking Scotland as a destination:
“As a cruise destination, Scotland is undoubtedly up there with the best. Breathtaking scenery, stunning cities, haunting history, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and a variety of ports large and small make Scotland the perfect cruise destination.
Scotland’s cruise ports are ideally located for inclusion in Britain and Ireland itineraries, transatlantic re-positioning, or for combining with cruises to Iceland, Faroe Islands or the Norwegian Fjords and Europe.”
The Cruise Scotland website estimates that the market was worth more than £49 million last year, when 457 vessels brought 401,325 passengers, with value and passenger numbers reaching new heights and a number of ports breaking their own records.
The debate is an important opportunity to put on record the Parliament’s recognition of the cruise industry in Scotland and the particular success that is Greenock ocean terminal. I thank everyone who has supported the motion and I look forward to members’ contributions to the debate. I congratulate all who have contributed to the success that is Greenock ocean terminal.
17:11
I congratulate Annabel Goldie on securing the debate. For the first time ever, I agree 100 per cent with everything that she said.
In the past week, we have heard about the efforts that are being made to promote tourism. I remind members to recognise the importance of creating a prosperous tourism industry for all in Scotland.
Inverclyde has succeeded in growing its marine tourism sector during the past few years. This year, Inverclyde’s economy expects an £8.7 million boost to come from the record-breaking number of visitors to Greenock ocean terminal.
Inverclyde is becoming a set destination port for tourists from all over Europe and elsewhere. In 2015, for the first time ever—I cannot stress that enough—a cruise line will sail from Greenock to the Caribbean. Peel Ports, which operates the port of Greenock, expects each cruise ship visitor to contribute an average of £80 to the local economy, and let us not forget the 25,000 crew members, who will also spend money and time in Inverclyde and will contribute to the local economy.
As I was putting some words together for today, I remembered that I lodged a similar motion in 2010. At that time, almost 40 ships were to go through Greenock ocean terminal and bring 50,000 tourists to Inverclyde. Between 2010 and now, the number of people going to Greenock ocean terminal and through the Inverclyde economy has doubled.
Annabel Goldie lavished praise on the people of Greenock ocean terminal, but the contribution of the people of Inverclyde tourist group cannot be overstressed. We have to consider how much of an improvement there has been and how beneficial it will be to the Inverclyde economy.
I will lavish further praise on the Inverclyde tourist group. I have met the group on a number of occasions and spoken at a couple of its annual general meetings. I was there again just last summer. It involves a wonderful bunch of people, all of whom believe in and have a passion for the area of Inverclyde. Every single person donates their time, effort and energy for no money whatsoever. They do it because they love the area and they want Inverclyde to be promoted as widely as possible. The efforts of every single person in that group cannot be overestimated. That is a tremendous group of individuals.
It is estimated that one third of the visitors who go to Inverclyde stay in Inverclyde. The rest will perhaps travel out to Loch Lomond, Glasgow or even Edinburgh for day trips. However, one third stay in Inverclyde, and that is a huge amount of money and a huge amount of economic potential that can be generated and benefited from.
I am conscious of the time, so I will wind up, but I could probably speak about the topic all day. I congratulate Annabel Goldie again on securing the motion and I whole-heartedly agree with its sentiments.
17:15
I congratulate Annabel Goldie on bringing the motion to the chamber. I totally agree with its sentiments. Greenock ocean terminal has added to the economy of Inverclyde and the west of Scotland, as we have heard from the previous speakers. I am fortunate in that I have experienced the terminal’s hospitality on several occasions when I have embarked from Greenock to sail to Norway and Morocco on cruises, which was a delightful experience.
One of the highlights of leaving from Greenock ocean terminal is the fantastic send-off that we get from the pipe band and the Highland dancers—and let us not forget the huge foam figure in a Scottish outfit; I presume that there is a man inside it. He is kilted and has a beret and he attempts to dance and jig on the quayside as ships depart. That is a great experience for those of us who are fortunate enough to go on a cruise—I know that you, Presiding Officer, have been on a cruise as well. It is also fantastic for the people who are not Scottish who join the cruise—lots of people come from across the United Kingdom to join the cruises from Greenock. The experience is fantastic and I am sure that the same thing happens when people come into the terminal, which is obviously why it is so popular with visitors.
I, too, congratulate Inverclyde tourist group on the service that it provides to the cruise passengers—including me—and the thousands of visitors. As we have heard, the port reception is the best in the world.
17:17
By some coincidence, my day started in Inverclyde this morning, when I visited the Ferguson yard. The work that is going on there is more good news for Inverclyde and my visit was another reminder of the spectacular scenery that the area has to offer.
I, too, congratulate Annabel Goldie on securing the debate and supporting Greenock ocean terminal. Like her, I congratulate Peel Ports on increasing the number of vessels and passengers using the port, which is predicted to be in excess of 100,000 this year.
Congratulations must also go to the Inverclyde tourist group, which, working in close partnership with the port, provides—as has been described—an excellent ambassadorial service for passengers, encouraging them to enjoy what the area has to offer. Thanks must also go to Cruise Scotland, the industry body that has played such a leading role in promoting Scotland as a destination for all the major cruise lines.
Cruising is an important sector for Scottish tourism. Although we cannot always have the weather that the Mediterranean or the Caribbean can offer, we have amazing scenery, epic history, and culture and events that continue to provide a draw.
Greenock provides the perfect location for one of Scotland’s top cruise ports. At the head of the sheltered and scenic Clyde estuary, Greenock ocean terminal hosts a deepwater quay that is able not only to accommodate the growing size of cruise ships but to act as the perfect entry point to the attractions of the west of Scotland and further afield.
Indeed, thanks to an invite from the Federation of Small Businesses, my ministerial colleague, Fergus Ewing, has already had the opportunity to visit the port, last August, along with Stuart McMillan and Duncan McNeil. They met volunteers from the Inverclyde tourist group and saw first hand the impressive work that Peel Ports is doing to encourage further growth in the sector.
For example, Peel Ports works closely with the tourist group to ensure that a warm welcome always awaits every arrival. The group must be commended as a good example of local people who are passionate about their area volunteering to act as ambassadors for Inverclyde. Their enthusiasm and knowledge help to ensure that visitors get the most out of their time in the area, learning about the many places of interest nearby, and are offered free local tours. As Annabel Goldie notes, 56 vessels are due to berth at the port this year, with Greenock welcoming some of the newest and most famous vessels, such as P&O’s newest liner, the Britannia, which was launched by the Queen this year and will be visiting in July as part of her maiden season. The Queen Mary 2 will be arriving on 21 May to celebrate Cunard’s 175th anniversary, and Cunard continues to maintain its proud relationship with the river and its people, evoking memories of the three previous Cunard queens that were launched on the river. It is good to see that the Clyde and Greenock in particular are very much still working for Cunard.
Greenock is not only a transit port—a harbour where passengers stop off as part of their cruise—it is also an important embarkation point. This year, 18 cruises will commence and end in Greenock, servicing routes such as the Baltic and the Western Isles and—new for this year, as Stuart McMillan mentioned—offering a direct route from Greenock to the Caribbean this November. That benefits Scottish consumers who wish to go on a cruise, as it means that they do not have to take the long journey south to Southampton. It is also worth noting that it is not only passengers who benefit the local economy. As Stuart McMillan has also mentioned, 20,000 crew members contribute to the local economy, too.
Last week, Cruise Scotland attended the global industry’s premier event, cruise shipping Miami. Cruise Scotland, the industry-led marketing body, used the opportunity to further promote Scotland as the ideal cruise destination, and even used a whisky versus Tunnock’s taste-off to entice delegates.
Cruise Scotland represents all the main cruise ports in Scotland, from Lerwick to Leith and Greenock to lnvergordon. It continues to actively market Scotland, with forthcoming attendance at the major European cruise event in Hamburg this September, and on-going familiarisation visits for cruise line executives.
Last year—2014—was the best year for the cruise industry, and 2015 is on track to beat it. Cruise Scotland estimates that the market was worth £49 million last year, when 457 vessels brought more than 400,000 passengers to Scotland—an increase of nearly 17,000 passengers on the previous year. Although it expects that the same number of vessels will come to Scotland this year, a trend toward larger vessels—some having as many as 16 decks and taking around 4,000 passengers—should see an overall increase in the number of passengers of more than an estimated 8 per cent to more than 430,000. It is good to see that Scotland’s appeal, even in the cold season, means that the cruising period has extended from March to mid-December this year.
The Scottish Government is very supportive of the industry and engages regularly with Cruise Scotland and other key stakeholders. As Stuart McMillan, the convener of the cross-party group on recreational boating and marine tourism, is already aware, the Government was able to provide support to Cruise Scotland to assist it to attend the European Commission’s inaugural pan-European dialogue with cruise stakeholders in Brussels earlier this month. That helped to ensure that the Scottish cruise sector’s interests were fully represented and illustrates the kind of stakeholder commitment that we have.
Scotland’s national marine plan recognises that cruise tourism is one of our growing sectors and demonstrates strong potential to expand further. We have secured appropriate infrastructure, which is being made available to accommodate larger ships. The emphasis in the marine plan and the national planning framework on sharing port infrastructure that was developed for other commercial reasons—for example, renewable energy—will assist and might offer further opportunities.
VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are all represented on the Cruise Scotland steering group, and VisitScotland engages with local bodies that are keen to market their areas, including the Inverclyde tourist group.
In relation to Greenock, VisitScotland will next month chair a Riverside Inverclyde workshop aimed at businesses that hope to maximise opportunities from the cruise market.
However, the Government remains concerned about the damaging effect that the uncertainty about the unconsulted-upon face-to-face passport checks that the UK Government introduced in 2012 continues to have on the cruise industry and the delay for passengers that is created. It is most unhelpful.
We continue to press the UK Home Office for a proportionate process in response to cruise industry and local authority concerns around its actions. The cruise industry view on the issue is clear: the industry needs a bankable written commitment from the UK Home Office that, for as long as it insists on stopping visiting cruise passengers and checking their passports, it will meet the costs involved.
That said, the cruise industry would prefer that the UK Home Office operated in a manner that enabled all of the UK to compete for cruise traffic on the same footing as Norway, France and other nearby countries: that is, relying on advance information from the ship and stopping only the very few who might be of interest. Such an approach would encourage further traffic at existing ports and enable smaller ports to consider entry into the expanding niche cruise market with smaller vessels but targeted destinations.
We hope that the partnership working, the assets that we have and the support that we provide will all be well received. Once again, we congratulate all those who are involved with Greenock ocean terminal on their success. Long may it continue.
Meeting closed at 17:25.Previous
Decision Time