Cruise ship cancellations

[Ghostrider]

^ Unless for the few who choose to come ashore and wander around the street, do many other shops etc see trade from them? I've not really paid that much atention, but the general perception of cruise liner passengers is that the vast majority go straight from boat to bus, get dragged around the usual selection of tourist traps, few of which are anywhere near any businesses, then straight back aboard again, 'home in time for tea'.

 

Do the bus tours include visits to pubs, cafes etc along the way on their tours, and is it in any volume that it makes any significant contribution to the businesses' overall viability?

[Colin]

 

I see other ports starting to turn away cruise ships, due to being overwhelmed by the large number of visitors arriving. e.g/ Kirkwall now turning some down as well as mediterranean e.g Venice and  Baltic Ports e.g. Stockholm.

Can we accept many more in Lerwick?

 

Who actually benefits from these visits, other than harbour and bus operators?

 

Bars, shops, restaurants etc, and the benefits that they enjoy rub of on all the other businesses. Passengers coming ashore is good for all the businesses.

 

 

Sorry George but, spoken like a man who has not spent to much time in town during a visit.

 

Truth is that those who want to wander around Lerwick do not seem inclined to spend to much time in any of the establishments that you mention..

 

In the main, they just seem to wander around taking 'photos.  Sure, they might spend a pound (or two) on "touristy" type stuff and quite a few seem to indulge in chip suppers but, all the real(?) money is extracted from them whilst "on board".

 

I also believe that a bus trip around the island to various attractions(?) is around of £75 per head.  A smallish portion of which will end up with the bus company the rest with the tour operator.

[MuckleJoannie]

 

Do the bus tours include visits to pubs, cafes etc along the way on their tours, and is it in any volume that it makes any significant contribution to the businesses' overall viability?

 

The Scalloway museum certainly does well from tour ship passengers.

[Lerwick antiques]

From my experience and from what I have been told by other shop owners on da street is that they don't buy much.

 

The only shops that do well is places selling fair isle knit ware, some cafes, and shops selling small cheap Shetland souvenirs.

 

They are on a sight seeing holiday so all they want is a few photos, souvenir, fair isle jumper/gloves etc, maybe a Shetland book and perhaps a snack at a café or chip supper.

 

There are restrictions on their luggage size and weight so can't really buy much unless they are going to post it home, which would cost a small fortune and would require them wrapping it.

 

Also, in my case, most items I sell are breakable and would be a job to pack (if they were to post)

 

Mind the other week there was two cruise ships in, there was around 400 of them in my shop in the run of the day, only sales I had was to local folk that day, the around 400 cruise ship tourists bought nothing.

 

But on a brighter note, this wool week has been fantastic, a lot of shops has done quite well this past week. Think Shetland needs to organise more events like wool week to bring folk to Shetland, especially during the end and beginning of the year.