Cruise Europe : industry is worth at leat E30m to Tallinn

Passengers in Tallinn spend on average E59.06 per person according to a recent survey undertaken by GP Wild (International). 'We can estimate the total impact of cruise tourists' purchases to be nearly E30 million. 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 bus companies,' explained Sirle Arro, head of marketing and communication, Port of Tallinn.

Of those passengers goings ashore, 54% purchased a shore excursion spending an average of E24.16. The survey showed that 70% of passengers purchased local crafts and souvenirs at an average price of E16.80 per purchase. Another 60% made purchases of food and beverages with an average expenditure of E11.61 per purchase while 25% made purchases of clothing with an average expenditure of E25.29 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 United States. The average passenger surveyed was about 57 years of age with an average household income of E71,000.

In 2015 a new wastewater pipeline in the Old City harbour, which is compliant to the International Maritime Organization and Helcom environmental requirements, was built. The new pipeline allows cruiseships to offload all wastewater directly into the pipeline at 100m3 per hour.

A 153m-long moving walkway/travellator was put into service in 2015 connecting Terminal A to quay no 16 to provide passengers with easier access. Primarily for St Peter Line passengers, the quay was recently extended from 403m to 620m and a new passenger bridge built. Total investment for the three improvements was E6.06m.