A CRUISE seminar was held to help local businesses prepare for tourists next year.

The first of two events took place at the Beacon to help organisations get ready for a busy cruise call season in 2022

It was organised by CruiseForth with support from Inverclyde Council and Inverclyde Tourist Group, bringing together representatives from the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, plus port operators, cruise lines, public transport providers and tourism bodies.

Provost Martin Brennan, who opened the event, said: “The number of cruise ship passengers, and indeed crew, docking at Greenock Ocean Terminal has grown substantially in recent years and will increase even further with the new cruise ship visitor centre currently under construction.

“With that comes great opportunities for businesses to capitalise on and encourage our overseas or out of town guests to discover Inverclyde and surrounding areas and ensure they get that famous warm welcome."