Isle of Man £80m bid to redevelop harbours
- Published
The Isle of Man wants to attract more cruise ships
The Isle of Man parliament will be asked to approve more than £80m to "develop Manx harbours" and "grow cruise tourism".
The first phase of the government's three-year strategy, external, costing £11m, would see a deep water port built at Victoria Pier, Douglas.
The facility would accommodate cruise ships and wind farm support vessels.
Currently, visiting cruise liners must anchor in Douglas Bay and transport passengers to shore by boat.
A government spokesman said about 6,500 passengers visit the island every year but with a deeper port, that figure could rise to 40,000 within the next 25 years.
Documents show where the changes would be made
Port St Mary is earmarked for a new marina development
Ramsey could become a "marine service centre"
Peel Marina has berths for more than 100 yachts
The rest of the money would be spent over a period of three years and could mean a new marina in Port St Mary, a "marine service centre" in Ramsey and a second deep water port in Port Erin.
Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said: "Ports and harbours play a crucial role in the life of any island, and this document looks at how we can ensure our facilities are robust, modern and practical for both industry and leisure."
The recently published Harbour Strategy, external will be presented to Tynwald next week.