May the sun shine on the cruise liner
HOW wonderful that, for once, when Guernsey played host to its largest cruise liner visitor of the year the sun shone and the weather played ball.
As a result, everyone had a wonderful time and are carrying on with their holiday, and ultimately, in many cases, returning to the United States, with lots of good things to say about Guernsey.
They told us they ate lunch in our restaurants, had coffees, went on walking tours, and bought in our shops.
How much they spent, a regular argument used against the cruise passenger, is surely moot. It’s not money taken from someone else’s pocket. If the liner didn’t stop outside St Peter Port, they and their wallets would simply pass us by.
Guernsey cruise business has been slow to recover post-pandemic, in contrast to the industry itself.
But still in 2023, cruise ship passengers were said to have generated an estimated £3.4m. in direct spend in the local economy. They keep several local businesses afloat.
But the island is struggling to retain this business. There are already market indications that some of the larger players are going to drop Guernsey from their itineraries.
Which makes it all the more important that we do everything that we can to continue to encourage cruise liners, and their passengers to visit, spend, and enjoy.
And that the sun shines for them.