In the three months since it was launched, the group - which aims to promote Southampton as the best place in the south to do business - has begun a raft of initiatives. Chief among them is the Cruise Partnership, which is tasked with encouraging passengers to use Southampton as a stopover and not just at the beginning or end of the holiday.

Business Southampton bosses are also putting the finishing touches to a website to make accessing the city easier. Called Discover Southampton, it will offer everything from historical facts to cinema times to shipping information and will be launched in June.