Falkland Islands Cruising on the Increase

By guest blogger Steve Newman.

The future’s bright for The Falkland Islands Tourist Board, which has just announced its latest tourism forecast for the 2010/11 season.

And the rise in cruise ship visits continues apace. The Falklands are anticipating a growth of 1.3% in cruise passenger arrivals for the current season (October to April), with 49,011 expected to visit. These statistics dovetail with the global upswing in cruising - 1.77 million people are expected to take a cruise next year, according to the latest figures released by the Passenger Shipping Association.

A total of 29 ships are scheduled to call at the Falkland Islands this season as an integral part of wider South America or Antarctica itineraries, comprising both expedition vessels and large cruise lines. The Falklands also welcomes four new vessels to its shores this season, including Le Boreal and Marina Svetaeva.

“Today’s cruise passengers are seeking authentic experiences in relatively undiscovered locations. The Falklands offers just this, plus wildlife in abundance and our latest tourism forecast demonstrates the increasing popularity of this destination,” commented Paul Trowell, General Manager for the Falkland Islands Tourist Board.

For more information on the Falklands, visit http://www.falklandislands.com/ or, if you want to cruise there, have a look at cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Tomorrow (September 19) sees the start of the fourth annual National Cruise Week in the UK, with a series of events, exhibitions, special offers and added value incentives designed to put cruising in the 'shop window' of the travel business.

Organised jointly by the Passenger Shipping Association and the Association of Cruise Experts (the group of top UK cruise travel agents), it already has a long list of deals aimed exclusively at the upcoming week, as well as a series of showcases by individual groups and agencies designed to highlight the great value and excitement of cruising.

If you haven't yet decided on your next (or first) cruise, the next seven days are definitely the time to have a good look and give it some serious consideration.

The current list of special deals, offers and incentives can be found here:

Grab A Great Deal During National Cruise Week

And, for the full list of what events are scheduled in various parts of the country, check out this link:

National Cruise Week Events

Finally, if we can also recommend one specialist agent who usually have the best deals and some fab offers (especially for the deluxe end of the market and anythingnto do with adventure cruising), check out:

The Cruise Line Ltd

All aboard now...!