The Leisure Excursions for Cruise & Conference, led by Southampton City Council, has announced that it will host a Cruise Business Seminar on Thursday (28 February), at the Southampton Harbour Hotel.

The day-long event will enable businesses to network and collaborate with partners in the industry.

Leisure excursions for Cruise and Conference project manager Laura Campbell said: “This event has been tailored towards supporting cruise excursion companies to find products that match their requirements and enable them to build a marketable excursion itinerary.

“Whether it’s building up a great portfolio of activities to engage a cruise line to consider Southampton as a port or engaging the passengers to stay longer in Hampshire and Southampton, [everyone has] worked hard to make this happen in the most effective way.”

Southampton City Council member for homes and culture councillor Satvir Kaur said: “Being a busy cruise port we have millions of cruise passengers coming to Southampton every year, and we are keen to establish ourselves as a destination city for them to explore the amazing attractions in Southampton and the surrounding area. 

“Southampton has so much to offer, and it is great to host this event and help create memorable visitor experiences with our partners, creating packages that can be used by cruise lines and cruise excursion companies across the globe.

“We hope to encourage more visitors to our great city, as well as tempting returning visitors to come again and stay longer, helping to grow the local tourism economy.” 

The seminar is part of a wider project to provide new on-shore excursions for visiting cruise passengers.