First-day gloom for TPP businesses, craft vendors in cruise reopening
The breezy and cheery backdrop of the Cyril B Romney Tortola Pier Park was a stark contrast to the mood of the park’s business operators as well as Crafts Alive vendors at the end of day one of the opening of the cruise season.
The Seabourn Odyssey, a cruise ship under the Seabourn Cruise Line, was the first to dock at the pier in what is predicted to be a very busy cruise ship season.
However, business operators at the Pier Park and vendors at Crafts Alive Village were shocked when no cruise passengers stopped in their stores to peruse items on sale.
According to Xavier Javier, the operator of That’s Spirit store at the Pier Park, the reality of the first day was different from what he had expected.
“We tried to open as early as possible in order for us to get customers. But what we expected is not what happened. We saw the passengers get out and go in the area where the taxi was waiting there. We were expecting that they would at least come in the shops and see what they would like to get when they come back. But in the end, nothing happened,” Javier said after the ship’s call to the territory on Wednesday.
Cruise passengers went straight to taxis
A worker inside a clothing store at the Pier Park said she believed the organisation for the reopening of the cruise season did not take into consideration the business people in the area. She said there were not many activities going on as tourists were moved directly from the cruise ship to taxis and transported to the beaches.
“The people here in the Pier Park don’t really benefit economically from the cruise ship today because no passengers have come into the store. This is a relatively small area and they could have at least made the passengers come look through if they wanted to before they go into town and to the beaches,” said the worker who spoke with our news centre on the condition of anonymity.
“After they’ve gone to the beaches and come back, they are tired and nobody wants to stop in the stores. They just want to go straight on to the ship,” she added.
Kunal Fatarpekar, owner of Klass Electronics, was one of the lucky shops that saw a few passengers come in and browse their collections. He said he understands visitors hesitancy to enter stores considering the pandemic is still ongoing.
However, Fatarpekar said his store is taking all precautions for when cruise ship customers eventually come. He said all his staff has been vaccinated.
Vendors still upbeat
Vendors at Crafts Alive Village reflected similar sentiments as those at the Pier Park. They said no tourists stopped by as they had hoped. Nonetheless, they are happy the cruise season is has commenced as it usually signals an increase in much-needed business for them.
One artisan said he wants the government to do what they must to ensure the return of the ships is safe. He said he was not vaccinated but he is taking all the required steps outlined by the government to protect himself and prospective buyers. He also said he was looking forward to seeing some returning customers who took pride in his art whenever they stopped by.
The Seabourn Odyssey docked approximately 7:30 am yesterday, October 13, with a little more than one hundred passengers on board. The cruise ship was one of those who operated in a bubble as Premier Andrew Fahie said some would.
The passengers were taken from the vessel to two approved locations at Cane Garden Bay Beach and Long Bay Beach in Beef Island. When the passengers returned to the Pier Park, they were told by attendants to go straight to the ship and they should not stop to shop, BVI News understands.
Efforts to contact Junior Tourism Minister Sharie deCastro and Chief Executive Officer of the Cyril Romney Tortola Pier Park Vance Lewis for comment were unsuccessful as of news time.
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rebooting…money for one family, few taxi drivers, and port fees
The new normal, get used to it!
The “bubble” policy isolates the passengers from EVERYONE. This was the perfect example.
AND half the passengers never left the ship, which means that they DID NIOT WANT TO JUMP THROUGH TESTING HOOPS SINCE THEY ARE ALREADY VACCINATED. We hopefully learned a valuable lesson.
But I doubt it…
Thanks vip for bringing back the ships the haters trying hard to throw cold water
Truly appreciate the efforts of the VIP …. Well done
The truth is cruise passengers rarely spend a lot of money even if they have a browse in the local shops.
It’s time for BVI to shift to overnight passengers. Tourists who will stay for a few days to 2-3 weeks. Let’s develop or hotels and our activities so they have things to do when they come on holiday.
The passengers who come for a few nights or more will spend money. This means more cash.floating around the economy not just in one area. We need to stop concentrating so heavily on these cruise passengers. How long will we beat the same dead drum?
You are totally correct. Many years ago the Bahamas learned the lesson that cruise ship tourists don’t spend much money onshore – those tourists have several islands to visit to spend their cash. The only people who make any money from cruise ship visitors are the taxi drivers….
Yes, so it’s better to concentrate on overnight visitors as they are the ones that spend money here.
The Charter Industry has been saying this for years. A overnight visitor spends on taxi, hotel, restaurant and other items while a cruise visitor spends upfront before the trip.
Seabourn cruises offer a very high end experience and if the passengers get off the ship, it is certainly not to shop. They want a high quality and memorable experience, tour and beach maybe. Besides for the most part, it is government who benefits from the cruise ships with the fees they charge. The passengers that stay on island for several days spend a lot more at our restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, gift shops, clothing stores, etc.
We seemed to have dropped the ball.
Let’s blame Andrew Rawwwwwwwrrrrrr!!!!!
we’re lucky they even stopping tortola at all. exactly what do we have in tortola to awww these tourist.. beautiful well maintained parks, NO, a botanic garden(maybe half of one)beautiful beaches, .yes.. couple good views on the mountains,, which blocked by bush now.. i love mt Tola, but someone enlighten me. tell me what will make me spend my hard earn money to come spend a vacation here..
Well da clubs of course.
My money goes to help single moms and young women looking to save for college. I make it rain like a hurricane when I’m in the house.
Thank you stimulus btw. Been a fun summer
That ship returns in 2 weeks. Maybe a passenger or 2 will actually take the rapid test for $50 and come ashore for a few hours to window shop.
These small ships never result in monies on the ground when berthing in Tortola, this is nothing new! These are high-end, value ships, these people are not going to be walking road town looking for deals, that’s not the type of cruiser that are on these ships. They may do a tour and that’s it. It goes to show that we have been in this business for so many years and still don’t know our customers.
The confusion came from the Government usual tricks of hyping things up to be more than they really are. They know full well that the busy part of cruise tourism is in November if they do come at all. Not sure why anybody was surprised by what happened yesterday.
For once and for all can someone with a brain design take from RITE WAY’s Parking lot and design a working parking lot so that these poor businesses can have local traffic as well? The current parking is a JOKE.
If a shop owner cant get themselves vaccinated why am I going in their shop?
Another untruth. The premier said the return of the ships will bring benefit for all. Another untruth.
Ro***ys got to eat too! Maybe some crumbs for the rest of us.