Belfast welcomed its two millionth cruise ship visitor today, marking a major milestone for Northern Ireland's cruise and tourism industry.
Lea Goodsell from Pensacola in Florida was on board the Norwegian Dawn, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line, which docked in Belfast Harbour this afternoon.
Since the first cruise ship visit to Belfast back in 1996, the industry has grown exponentially - this year is expected to be a record year for the port with 165 calls from 34 different cruise lines, carrying more than 250,000 passengers.
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Lea learned she was the two millionth cruise visitor to the city as she stepped off the Norwegian Dawn and described the news as "overwhelming".
She told Belfast Live: "It's my first time in Belfast so what an auspicious beginning to my day here. When I woke up this morning, I decided to get off the ship as early as I could to see the city for as long as possible and I was met at the dock with the news that I was the two millionth passenger so that was overwhelming. What an introduction that was to the city!
"I'm looking forward to seeing all of Belfast's major sites and spotting some things that I'd like to go back and explore more and ultimately finding a little pub out of the way and having a pint of Guinness to soak up the local flavour even more.
"I've done quite a lot of cruises in the past and I'm on this trip with several family members including my mother as cruising is her preferred method of travel."
Since the first cruise ship visit to Belfast in the late 90s, over 1,100 ships have called at Belfast Port, bringing passengers from more than 20 countries.
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Among those welcoming Lea to Belfast for the first time was Gary Hall, Commercial Executive at Belfast Harbour.
He said: "We welcomed our first cruise ship just shy of 30 years ago when one ship visited that year. Since then it's really just gone from strength to strength and grown exponentially, especially in recent years and in line with the tourist industry in general in Belfast and Northern Ireland.
"We welcomed our 1000th call in 2021 and now we're up to 165 calls this year."
Mary Jo McCanny, Director of Visitor Servicing at Visit Belfast, added: "Ahead of such a busy cruise season, welcoming the two millionth visitor to Belfast is another great milestone for the city that again demonstrates the vital partnerships that Cruise Belfast has formed with global cruise operators.
“The Visitor Servicing teams work tirelessly to provide a first-class reception for every visitor who arrives into Belfast, showcasing the very best of the city and the wide range of quality tourist experiences on offer.
“Belfast has built a strong reputation as a welcoming and exciting cruise destination and that is something we hope to continue for years to come.”
The cruise industry is expected to contribute more than £21m to the local economy in 2023.
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Including the Norwegian Dawn, Belfast has seen a total of 1,161 cruise ship calls by vessels from 75 different cruise lines to date, representing a significant contribution to the growing tourism economy in Northern Ireland.
Some of the biggest cruise ships in the world, from world-leading global brands including Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas (347 metres long, gross tonnage 168,666) and MSC Virtuosa (332m long, gross tonnage 181,541) have called at Belfast multiple times in recent years.
Between March and October this year, 61 different vessels will dock at the port. The 165 calls expected this season represents a 15% increase on the previous record set in 2019.
There will also be 15 ships calling to Belfast for the first time in 2023, including Disney Dream, Norwegian Prima and MSC Preziosa, demonstrating Northern Ireland’s increasing popularity as a cruise destination and providing testament to the quality of the region’s award-winning visitor attractions and tourism offer.