'We estimate the total impact of cruise tourists’ purchases to be nearly €30m annually and this doesn’t yet reflect the whole impact of cruise tourism on our economy as Estonia also benefits from revenue from port fees, pilotage dues, Maritime Administration fees and from duties paid to shipping agencies, travel agencies and transport companies,' explained Sirle Arro, head of marketing and communication, Port of Tallinn.
Of those passengers going ashore, 54% purchased a shore excursion spending an average of €24.16. The survey showed that 70% of passengers purchased local crafts and souvenirs at an average price of €16.80 per purchase. Another 60% made purchases of food and beverages with an average expenditure of €11.61 per purchase while 25% made purchases of clothing with an average expenditure of €25.29 per purchase.
When it comes to passenger satisfaction, 97% said that their visit to Tallinn met or exceeded their expectations and were very satisfied with their overall visit. Courtesy of employees and friendliness of residents were valued the most with 86% being either extremely or very satisfied with them. Historic sites and museums scored well with 86% stating that they were either extremely or very satisfied.
The survey included answers from 937 passengers who visited Tallinn in July, August or September 2015. Of these 38% were British, 26% German and 18% from the US. The average passenger surveyed was about 57 years of age with an average household income of €71,000.
Regarding infrastructure developments for visiting cruise ships, a new wastewater pipeline became operational in the Old City harbour last year, which is compliant to International Maritime Organization and Helcom environmental requirements. The new pipeline allows cruise ships to discharge all wastewater at 100cu mtr per hour.
A 153mtr-long moving walkway/travellator was put into service in 2015 connecting Terminal A to quay no16 to provide passengers with easier access. Primarily for St Peter Line ferry operations, the quay was recently extended from 403mtr to 620mtr and a new passenger bridge built. Total investment for the three improvements was over €6m.
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