Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
#1
The cruise AIDAblu (Italian registered, but predominantly German passengers) has been visiting Dover every Tuesday since 4 March and will do so until 27 April. This represents a total of nine port of call visits. This is an excellent example of where the town could have done something to welcome visitors, perhaps through some civic pride (Union Flags and the German flag flying in the high street) and some promotional signage in the shops welcoming passengers from the ship. Of course, some passengers will have gone to London on organised coach tours, but many prefer to explore for themselves and the word of mouth effect of a visit to the town is what will bring people back.
Dover is competing with other ports in the UK and Europe for this port of call trade, so the town really does need to promote itself more positively. Next year, some of the major cruise lines will not be visiting Dover - Norwegian Cruise Line are not offering any ex-UK voyages; MSC are moving to Southampton; and Swan Hellenic to Portsmouth. The Port of Dover has done a good job in developing the cruise trade at Dover. The town now needs to do more to ensure that passengers visiting the town leave with a good impression.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#2
You have some very good points there Mr Charles,most of us have been saying this for some years and even worked on trying to do just that but up to now no luck but some day it will happen because it has to or the town will die.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
welcome kevin, i saw quite a lot of tourists and crew from the cruise ship this morning.
i think you are right about the flags, makes people feel welcome, they will pass on their experience to others.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#4
What you say is very true, but there isn't anyone charged with these cruise passenger initiatives.
It was something that as Dover Business Support Manager I was working towards, but as part of the Action Plan for Dover and also the Tourism Strategy I was half way through.
Now ? Who knows ?
The new Discover Dover leaflets that I've produced, are now ready for printing and will be given out at the cruise terminals; they were the most popular of all the leaflets at the VIC (not Vic !).
The French ones will be on board the LD Lines Ferry, in their booking hall in Boulogne and in various outlets in and around Boulogne.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#5
roger
even so, the local businesses could show a bit of enthusiasm towards visitors.
when the open golf was last at sandwich, the mildmay hotel had a lot of fans from texas.
they were met by the union flag, stars and stripes and something that i believe was a texan symbol.
probably did not cost much, just showed the right welcoming attitude.
#6
Kevin, we've got a bloke with a wheelbarrow doing 'it' for Dover, what more do you suggest?
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
#7
Good point, Howard. The Open Golf in 2011 will be another great opportunity to provide a warm welcome to visitors from throughout the world. Perhaps the powers-that-be could get together and invest in a row of flag poles (as they do with state visits on The Mall) that could fly the Union Flag and the flag of visiting nations from cruise ships, and the competitors in the Open Golf.
I hope someone can pick up the work that Roger had initiated. I genuinely believe that although the season for cruise ship visits is limited (peak season: May to September for Northern Europe cruises), this is a major opportunity for businesses in Dover, retailers and suppliers alike. There needs to be a much greater degree of partnership between port and town to realise the potential so that retailers now which ships are visiting, and any opportunities that this may provide. Improving our civic pride in the "look and feel" of the welcome to Dover, events and promotions are really important.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#8
Trouble is how do people in Dover know, I have looked at the DHB website and there is no mention of AidaBlu being in dock....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 673- Registered: 16 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,388
#9
DHB always publish the list of cruise ship calls for the year on the cruise section of their website. The pdf is available on the page below. If some of the shops in Dover are not interested enough to have been downloading the list of cruise ship calls each year as a matter of course then it is clear that they do not want the business. Seems the obvious thing to have stuck up on the wall of your restaurant, cafe, pub, souvenir shop, etc. Not rocket science.
http://www.doverport.co.uk/?page=CruisesGuest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#10
Ah thanks Ed, they don't come up on the Cruise Search !
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#11
if they are not computer literate there are signs along the seafront giving the cruise ship arrival schedule.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
#12
I think the key issue is that there needs to be more co-ordination to try and maximise the most of these opportunities. It's the port of call visits, such as those by the AIDAblu that are important from a tourism point of view. These ships are full of affluent tourists who will spend money in local shops (if they are open!) and where they can see some signs that an effort is being made to welcome them. Perhaps the marketing people at the port and council could develop a strategy to focus local efforts?
#13
The have a strategy Kevin. As I said earlier, we have a bloke with a wheelbarrow whose job it is to take care of lost tourists who have perhaps missed their bus to the castle, coach to Canterbury or train to London. The whole of Dover's tourist business success or failure is on this blokes shoulders. No-one seems to think we need more, and if they do, the funds aren't forthcoming. All a question of priorities mate.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#14
That's close Sid, but you forgot the Cruise Welcome Group, who give out leaflets etc. at the cruise terminlas.
I can't say now how pro-active they are, but they (apparantly) are.
I agree it is, or should be based around co-ordinating the cruise passengers and the Town's businesses, but when you are working on these measures and then told don't do this, don't do that, don't do anything other than recruit, recruit recruit - and you try to argue about it, you'll get sacked.
Maybe the answer was to have a Business Support Manager supporting the Town and the Businesses and someone else doing the recruiting.
The Manager's money would not dependant on the level of income raised and he would be working for the whole town; the trouble then is, that the funding would dry up in a year or two and so no Support Manager's wages equal no Support Manager.
Still the best way to go I think.
Roger
#15
Is it beyond the wit of man for KCC, DDC, DTC and CoC to actually sit down together and agree a funding plan, and a plan of attack and then sign up for, say, a five year programme?
They could even get our MP to chair the thing to ensure whatever comes out is non-political, and good for the town.
#16
Perhaps we should lay on something special for next Tuesday.
It is after all the Führer's birthday!
#17
We have been downloading the list of cruise ships visiting the port for several years (sad I know). So far this year only one (the Balmoral) was on said list.
There must be a niche in the market for a Dover tour. It could take in Kearsney Abbey, Bushy Ruff, the really pretty parts of Temple Ewell, down to the Town Hall, St Edmund's Chapel, the Pent, some of the old churches (only keep Alexander away!). Encourage people to look up at the varying architecture in Biggin Street. Castle Street and Worthington St are both quite attractive. But the fact remains that often tourists want to shop and we have nothing, nought, zippo, zilch, rien, nada.
#18
And you were doing so well there Diana. Don't give up just yet.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
#19
I tend to agree with Sid that it does require a long-term strategy to bring everything together. It would clearly be in the interests of both the Port and the Town but it does require resourcing. Diana is spot on. We have lots to offer for visitors, albeit lacking in retail at present. What's needed is a strategy to identify the opportunities, and then bring everything together.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#20
I'd built a strategy - a tourism strategy that was linking the cruise business with the Town's businesses.
A few years ago I created two fully costed, local cruise day-excursions, where local sites would have been visited and obviously benefitted greatly from it.
It was approved and at the time, well thought of, but it never went anywhere.
It's not so much long term strategy, as long-term funding; it's no good having a great scheme with obvious benefits to the Town and the whole area, if money runs out after 18 months.
It needs commitment but it never gets that commitment; like the old TCM, it ends up chasing its tail in fund-raising exercises when it should be working for the Town.
I know/knew what needs doing, but was always willing to listen to people's ideas, being given the freedom to put them in place was the problem.
Roger