Six Irish Sea ports have joined forces as part of a new €1.2m (£1m, US$1.8m) venture designed to attract more cruise ship passengers to Wales and Ireland.

It is hoped that the Celtic Wave project - comprising the ports of Anglesey, Milford Haven and Swansea in Wales, and Cork, Dublin and Waterford in Ireland - will provide a significant economic boost to each destination. Led by the Isle of Anglesey County Council, the scheme has secured a three-year funding package from the European Regeneration Development Fund through the Interreg 4A initiative to promote cross-border co-operation.

The Celtic Wave scheme will also market itself as an environmentally-friendly proposition, encouraging cruise ship operators to sail around the member ports in a bid to cut costs and carbon emissions. Project manager Sue Thomas said: "The project represents an important strategic alliance between Wales and Ireland. Our partnership will give us a new competitive edge in efforts to increase cruising within the Irish Sea.

"The aim of the project is to develop a Celtic Wave brand and by working together we will be able to market the whole of the Irish Sea region as one unique destination with a wealth of cultural experiences." Both the Irish government and the Welsh Assembly Government have welcomed the new scheme. The Irish minister for arts, sports and tourism, Martin Cullen, said: "The cruising sector is one that offers fantastic potential for tourism growth in the years ahead and the Celtic Wave project should have real benefits for the ports and the local cultural attractions and businesses in their hinterlands."