As people will be aware the West Cork Tourism Co-Operative Society are making arrangements to re-introduce the Cork/Swansea Ferry service. This is seen as very important for the tourism industry. It is estimated that the ferry service will generate between €40m and €50m worth of business annually in the region.
Cork City has the potential to greatly increase the benefits which come from the tourism industry. The City now has unrivalled retailfacilities, it has extended hotel facilities and is strong in the area of arts and culture. All of this is very relevant to the modern tourist. The attractiveness of the City was acknowledged by Lonely Planet when it gave Cork the esteemed accolade of being one of the top ten cities to visit in 2010.
The City has excellent air, road and rail access. The Cork Swansea Ferry will provide access by sea. The importance of the Ferry was clearly acknowledged by the local authorities in the region who stepped in some years back and provided the service directly themselves when the private sector withdrew from the scene.
The initiative of West Cork Tourism Co-Operative in re-introducing the Cork Swansea Ferry, which has been absent for a number of years, is to be greatly welcomed. A request was been received from the West Cork Tourism Co-Op for financial support from the Cork City Council.
At this week’s council meeting, the Council unanimously agreed to invest the total sum of €200,000 in the Co-Op by way of investing in bonds. This money was made available from profits made from the purchase and sale of property at Albert Quay.
The Swansea Cork Ferry is now taking bookings with thousands of people expected to book sailings in the coming weeks. The Cork Swansea Ferry will resume sailings March 1st 2010. Visit the ferry’s website at www.fastnetline.com
