It is one of the industries that has been hit the hardest by Covid-19.
But now recovery plans for the Highland cruise ship business will be unveiled at an online event.
Highland Tourism is hosting Tuesday’s talk in partnership with the Port of Cromarty Firth.
The cruise business is worth in the region of £20 million to the local economy and brings around 170,000 passengers to the Highlands annually.
Attendees at Tuesday’s event will hear plans for the industry to recover from the pandemic.
There will also be a presentation on Opportunity Cromarty Firth, a partnership of organisations exploring the opportunity for the Cromarty Firth to become a strategic national renewable energy hub and “free trade zone”.
It comes after the UK Government floated the idea of creating 10 such zones, also known as free ports, where normal tax and custom rules do not apply.
Allison McGuire, cruise manager for Invergordon, Cromarty Firth Port Authority, said: “Cruise business is worth in the region of £20m to the local economy and brings around 170,000 passengers to the Highlands annually and we look forward to delivering our plans for post Covid-19 recovery to Highland Tourism Talks attendees.
“Our marketing and PR manager, Stuart Macdonald Butler will also present on Opportunity Cromarty Firth.”
Highland Tourism co-founder, Yvonne Crook, added: “The Port of Cromarty Firth’s cruise business will be vital to the recovery of tourism in the Highlands and the exploratory work looking into the opportunity for the Cromarty Firth to become a strategic national renewable energy hub and ‘free trade zone’ could be transformational for the entire region.
“We are delighted to be able to facilitate this event for the tourism industry in the Highlands.”
In March a plan to establish a “world-leading” green hydrogen hub on the Cromarty Firth was launched by a partnership of companies, including utilities giant Scottish Power and three big names from the whisky industry.
The North of Scotland Hydrogen Programme (NSHP) aims to develop facilities in Easter Ross to produce and store the “clean” fuel to power businesses and homes in the Highlands, as well as other parts of the UK and Europe.
Power for the proposed Highland hub would be supplied from current and future wind farms close to the Cromarty Firth, as well as onshore schemes.
The Highland Tourism and Cromarty Firth event will take place online via zoom webinar on Tuesday, May 11, at 11.30am.