SCOTTISH Enterprise have shipped £79,000 to the award-winning CruiseForth for their efforts in engaging with local businesses as Fife’s cruise market continues to make waves.

The funding is provided as part of the Tourism Destination Development Fund and comes ahead of the 2017 cruise season with 145,000 passengers expected to be delivered to ports on the River Forth, including Rosyth.

CruiseForth have been awarded two years of funding and an additional boost of £10,000 from local partners, which will allow them to help make passengers stepping off the popular cruises on the Forth more aware of what’s available in West Fife.

Peter Wilson, project manager, said: “The funding will help us build on what we’ve already achieved. It will help us work with local businesses in Dunfermline, Rosyth and South Queensferry, and help promote better options for passengers when they arrive in the area.

“We’re also looking to make sure that our digital facilities are the best they can be so our passengers can access information on what’s around them.

"We’ve had people arriving in the ports and not knowing how close some attractions are. The funding is a testament to the work we’ve been doing. It’s very encouraging.”

To promote new opportunities directly to cruise lines, CruiseForth travelled to Seatrade Global in Florida, the primary cruise exhibition and conference in Fort Lauderdale, working alongside Forth Ports Ltd, as part of the Cruise Scotland stand.