Liverpool’s Albert Dock has partnered with Liverpool ONE and City Central Business Improvement District (Central BID) to sponsor a direct bus link into the City Centre for visiting cruise passengers.
The Cruise Liner Courtesy Bus Link is privately funded by the partners in a bid to create a Liverpool welcome for cruise passengers to the City.
The Cruise Liner Courtesy Bus Link has been running as a pilot scheme for the cruise calls of the Crown Princess, offering an hourly free pickup service from the St Nicholas Place, arriving first at the Albert Dock, and then stopping off for passengers at Liverpool ONE on Lord Street. Next stop the passengers are taken to Liverpool City Centre to Victoria Street, opposite the MetQuarter.
The purpose of the Cruise Liner Bus Link is to allow tourists a free and easy bus service in which they can experience the best of the Liverpool Waterfront as well as central retail and entertainment centres.
The arrival of the big cruise liners is forecast to give the local economy a £1.3bn boost with over 65,000 visitors in 2010, the Albert Dock, Liverpool ONE and the Central BID are working in collaboration to take full advantage of the opportunities the cruise ship day visitors bring. The success has already passed the expectations of the funding partners with the majority of shuttle runs filled to capacity as well as an increase on footfall and expenditure at the key drop off points.
Jeremy Roberts Chair of Albert Dock Tenants Business Association said: “Albert Dock is always keen to work with our partners at Liverpool ONE and Central BID, and this bus link helps to ensure a big Liverpool welcome, working with the Cruise Team to ensure that the visitor experience is second to none.”
Councillor Wendy Simon, Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism at Liverpool City Council, said: “Cruise passengers have contributed over £4.5m to the city’s economy since 2008 and with each one spending an average £70 a day they are a very important tourism market the city is working hard to cultivate.
"This bus is an excellent example of the city working in partnership to extend a Liverpool welcome to our cruise visitors, many of whom will be first time visitors, and increase the economic impact of the Cruise Liner Terminal."
The Liverpool Waterfront, a UNESCO World Heritage Site has a massive appeal to a vast array of tourists with a fantastic variety of entertainment, activities and celebrated architecture to seen and experienced. With the season coming to an end there are discussions already taking place to bring the Cruise Liner Courtesy Bus Link back next year to welcome more and more people to the delights Liverpool has to offer.
Jan, Liverpool around 1 year, 5 months ago