A PARTNERSHIP led by Southampton City Council is one of a number of projects awarded funding of £250,000 from the UK Government’s £40 million Discover England Fund (DEF).

The Leisure Excursions in Southern England for Cruise and Conference project will focus on growing the range of shore excursion itineraries, boosting tourism for the ports of Southampton and Plymouth. It aims to increase visitor numbers for businesses and attractions by encouraging visitors to stay local for longer.

The partnership includes Associated British Ports, Southampton Cultural Development Trust, Hampshire County Council, Go Southampton, Destination Southampton and Destination Plymouth.

They will work to develop a range of itineraries for visiting cruise lines that will showcase all the cultural and historical attractions in and around both cities.

Currently, when a cruise ship arrives on a transit call in Southampton around 50 per cent of passengers leave and go on shore excursions outside of the local area. The project will provide more localised options for cruise passengers and help boost economies nearby.

Research has shown that each cruise call into Southampton generates an estimated £2 million for the local economy and approximately £55 is spent per person on a cruise itinerary. By promoting the regional options available for tourists close to the ports, businesses and the visitor economy will benefit. Southampton is Northern Europe’s leading cruise port and welcomed more than 500 cruise calls in 2017.

Cabinet member for homes and culture at Southampton City Council, Satvir Kaur, said: “Hampshire and surrounding counties have so much to offer visiting tourists and we’re pleased that this funding will enable us to really put Southampton, Plymouth and the surrounding areas on the map. As well as the customary warm welcome, visitors to the cities will be informed, enlightened and entertained simply by staying in and around the destination port areas.”

Amanda Lumley, Chief Executive of Destination Plymouth said: ‘Plymouth is pleased to be a partner in the project building on initial cruise market activities to support the Mayflower 400 partnership over the past two years. Our insights show that there is a great appetite in the cruise sector for new products and this project is an opportunity for all the partners to leverage this with DEF grant funding support’.

The fund is administered by VisitEngland and involves a programme of activity to ensure that England stays competitive in the rapidly growing global tourism industry, by offering world-class English tourism products to the right customers at the right time. The Fund is a central government funded programme of activity, supported by match funding by partners in the public and private sectors.

VisitEngland chief executive Sally Balcombe said: “The calibre of submissions reflects the innovation in product development thriving across the country’s tourism landscape. The successful projects will boost international and domestic visitor growth creating a step-change in the industry and spreading the economic benefits of tourism across England.”

Southampton City Council’s winning project showcases the outstanding locations packaged together on the South Coast, giving visitors the opportunity to discover more of England as they disembark from Southampton or Plymouth and explore the cultural and rural charm of the country.”

The project will be delivering new leisure excursions for Cruise & Conference by mid-2019.