Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Battle of the Atlantic

#BattleofAtlantic – The Mersey will yet again be witness in marking another historic occasion tomorrow as the Battle of The Atlantic (on it 70th anniversary) is to be commemorated for the final time in the UK, writes Jehan Ashmore.

A unique opportunity to take part in the final ceremony is by taking a farewell cruise, as naval vessels from countries throughout Europe, Russia, US and Canada are to depart Liverpool. The event has also been commemorated in London and Derry-Londonderry.

The international flotilla which has spent the last few days in Liverpool represent both sides of the conflict which ran the entire length of the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945. The Battle of the Atlantic was pivotal to the success of the allied side, though the loss of life was horrific on both sides as highlighted on the Royal Navy BOA70 commemorative website.

Among the commemorative naval flotilla is HMS Edinburgh (D97) the last Type 42 destroyer in the Royal Navy fleet which is to decommission in Portsmouth in early June. It is apt her visit to Merseyside as she was launched in 1983 across the river on the Wirral Peninsula at the Cammell Laird shipyard.

 

Published in Naval Visits

#BattleofAtlantic- For five days, Liverpool is to host the 70th and final UK anniversary commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic between Friday 24 to Tuesday 28 May.

In total there are 25 naval ships calling at the Liverpool Cruise Terminal and at Albert and Canning Docks, with several of these vessels made open to visitors. Naval vessels from the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Russia and the US will represent both sides of the conflict which ran the entire length of the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945.

On the final day of the event, Tuesday 28 May, all visiting ships will depart in a coordinated parade on the Mersey. To take part in the maritime spectacle, Mersey Ferries will be joining the flotilla and will follow the ships as they head out of the Mersey. On board the excursion cruise, a Blue Badge Guide will provide live commentary.

Mersey Ferries are to provide two ferries for the Farewell Cruise. The following are departure times for the farewell cruises are as follows: Departing Liverpool at 1.00pm and the other cruises are scheduled to depart Seacombe also 1.00pm and from Woodside at 1.15pm.

Ticket price for the Farewell Cruise are £25.00 per person. Each cruise is approximately 3-4 hours (duration time may vary).

In addition Mersey Ferries are to offer guaranteed parking spaces at both Seacombe and Woodside with a charge of £5.00 per car (noting spaces are limited).

For further details and how to book online visit: www.merseyferries.co.uk/content/Cruises/Cruisedates.aspx

 

Published in Naval Visits

Marine Leisure & Aquatic Tourism

Domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million.

Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips.

While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities. 

According to the National University of Galway (NUIG) research the average expenditure per coastal day trip in 2018 was calculated at €95. The equivalent for coastal overnight trips was €310. The estimated water-based activity expenditure per person per trip across the sample was €56 rising to €73 for the subsample that actually undertake waterbased activities on their coastal visits. The results also indicate that domestic tourists undertake the majority of their marine activities on the West and South coasts of Ireland and that there are notable differences in participation rates across age groupings, social classes and by family makeup.

A domestic tourist is defined in this report as a person who spends at least one night away from home on their trip. Total expenditure by domestic tourists in coastal areas was estimated to be €698 million in 2018, which represents 35% of the total expenditure by domestic tourists (using the broader Fáilte Ireland measure for domestic tourists that includes business trips equating to 10.92 million in total trips and €2,006 million in total revenue).

The marine-related activity expenditure, or what might truly be referred to as domestic marine tourism, is estimated to generate revenue of €381 million with €172 million being spent on water-based activities. Marine tourism makes up an estimated 19% of total domestic tourism expenditure.

Marine Leisure Tourism - FAQ

Coastal tourism refers to land-based and water-based tourism activities taking place on the coast for which the proximity to the sea is a condition including also their respective services. Coastal and Marine Tourism & Leisure are seen as one of the Blue Economy (BE) sectors that can help unlock the potential of multi-use of space at sea by engaging with Blue Growth (BG) sectors such as Aquaculture and Marine Renewable Energy among others.

Sports: sailing, surfing, diving and fishing Heritage: Unesco coastal villages, archaeological sites of interest, biospheres and historical points of interest Arts: coastal museums, art galleries, museums, wrecks Education: Eco-tourism, field courses, NGOs. Food: Seafood restaurants, Seafood festivals

NUI Galway carried out a survey of domestic residents in Ireland in 2019 as part of a survey entitled "Valuing and understanding the dynamics of Ireland's Ocean Economy". The purpose of the household survey was to profile the domestic market for single-day trips (leisure) and overnight trips (tourism) for coastal and marine-related activities in Ireland. The results of the survey are also used to estimate what proportion of an Irish resident's total domestic tourism expenditure is in coastal areas (coastal tourism) and what proportion is spent on undertaking marine-related activities (marine tourism).

The NUI results highlight the important contribution that Ireland's marine and coastal resources make to the leisure experiences of the general population and the importance of the domestic tourism market to local coastal economies. The analysis indicates that domestic coastal tourism expenditure was approximately €698 million in 2018, while domestic marine tourism generated €381 million. Activities such as walking/ running along the coast, swimming and beach visitations are among the most popular activities for domestic visitors on both day and overnight trips. While participation rates in pursuits such as bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas and visiting nature reserves, etc. in coastal areas were lower, these activities did see the highest frequency of both day and overnight trips for those active in these activities. Satisfaction with the available marine-related leisure facilities was also found to be very high across all activities.

©Afloat 2020