Highlands & Islands Enterprise will hold a meeting this week to help business owners in Lewis and Harris make the best of the new Deep Water Terminal.
The Deep Water Terminal being built at Stornoway Port means that even the world’s largest cruise ships will be able to dock there.
It will be the first such terminal in the Outer Hebrides.
With the opening planned for 2024, local businesses can expect a whole new market of cruise passengers.
And, this week, business support group Highlands & Islands Enterprise will hold a session about what businesses can do to prepare.
‘Unlock potential’ for Stornoway and Islands
HIE’s sold-out event will feature advice from both local businesses and experts from the cruise industry. Representatives will be present from Thomson Cruises and Shore Excursions.
There will also be advice from VisitScotland, SPA, HIE, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Outer Hebrides Tourism.
The Deep Water Terminal offers “significant opportunities,” says Kathleen Stuart, head of enterprise support at HIE Innes Gall.
“The islands are incredibly popular destinations and this event will help to unlock potential within the cruise industry,” she said.
She hopes that HIE’s support will help “maximise opportunities for local businesses and communities”.
‘Welcome the world to our islands’
Costing £49 million, the Deep Water Terminal is a significant investment by the Stornoway Port Authority – but one they are confident will pay off.
The SPA’s chief executive, Alex MacLeod, says Stornoway will now be able to “welcome the world to our islands”.
“I am looking forward to discussing the transformative change that this project will bring to the Outer Hebrides alongside many of our partners at the upcoming cruise event in Stornoway.”
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