THE Port of Barrow could be set to rival the Port of Barcelona if tourism chiefs get their way.

Bosses at Cumbria Tourism are jetting out to Germany next week to woo cruise ship operators to factor Barrow into their itineraries.

If successful the move could see high-spending cruise passengers stop off in the town to enjoy Furness' tourism hotspots before returning to the ship to sail to far-flung destinations.

Barrow’s independent MP John Woodcock said: “It’s great to see Barrow going international.

"Opening our ports up tourists would be transformative for the area, bringing people into the Furness area who would not normally come our way.”

In a double boost the Government yesterday announced Barrow and Millom were two of 100 towns selected to create a proposal to benefit from the £3.6billion Town Fund.

Communities secretary Robert Jenrick said each town could receive up to £25million to improve transports, digital infrastructure, skills and culture.

The announcement of both of these initiatives has been hailed by many seeking to bring prosperity to the area.

Colin Garnett, Barrow BID manager, said: “It is great to hear that Cumbria Tourism are championing Barrow as a potential destination for cruise ships.

“As well as being ideally located for the neighbouring Lake District National Park, which now has World Heritage Status, Barrow also has ‘more than meets the eye’ in its own right.

“The Government’s Town Fund could make a significant difference to the fortunes of Barrow’s town centre. Our geographical isolation should be an ideal opportunity to transform Barrow town centre and create a city vibe, which will attract individuals from surrounding small towns and rural areas.”

Mr Woodcock said: “For too long Northern industrial towns have been neglected with funds being diverted to London but it is crunch time here in Barrow with ongoing recruitment issues at BAE and the real threat to delivering Dreadnought on time so this type of investment is crucial.”

Copeland MP Trudy Harrison said: “I am delighted and will be working closely with our local authorities and organisations to ensure this money is spent for the benefit of our residents and businesses.”

Cumbria Tourism bosses will be attending Seatrade Europe in Hamburg to help grow awareness of Barrow as a visitor gateway to the county as a whole.

It’s hoped that securing cruise ships into Barrow would have major knock on benefits for tourism by attracting higher-spending visitors not only to the Furness Peninsula, but also to the West Coast, the Lake District and beyond.

Stuart Klosinski, manager of Furness Economic Development Forum, said: “It’s important to exploit gateways into Cumbria. In the past cruise ships have always generated business for firms in South Cumbria - we whole heartedly support this.”