MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falkland Islands debates the landing fee for cruise visitors
Mrs. Middleton described the proposed new charge as, “the highest in the region except for South Georgia”. 
Stephanie and her team at the Prado show in Montevideo, with the Falklands tourism promotion stand The Falkland Islands Environment Committee, held a lively debate on the cost of the landing fee for cruise visitors which is scheduled to be increased to £25 per passenger, and which was described as “the highest in the region” by the head of the Islands Tourist Board.
Stephanie Middleton of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board expressed concerns that there might be negative consequences of the proposed rise in landing fees for cruise ship passengers.
From July 1, 2018, the fee is scheduled to increase to £25 per passenger, with an element of this going to the Museum, where passengers who currently pay an entrance fee of £5 will be admitted without charge.
Mrs. Middleton described the proposed new charge as, “the highest in the region except for South Georgia”.
A response from the Islands' government (FIG) was still awaited to a question she had asked about what proportion of the new landing charge would be earmarked for environmental protection.
The Falklands receives some 55.600 tourists per year, most of them cruise visitors, making tourism one of the most dynamic sectors, climate allowing, of the economy.
The Falklands Historic Dockyard Museum is one of iconic places to visit in Stanley covering the Islands' social, maritime and natural history, the 1982 war, and Antarctic heritage, and has been distinguished by Museums and Heritage International, and Tripadvisor, among others. (PN)
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Read all commentsCorrect Frank- it is a charge on the cruise liner- not per passenger as they land. So the passengers already pay all the different country landing fees - as part of the fare they pay the cruise company for the cruise.
Dec 30th, 2017 - 01:00 am +2Problem here is the money is collected by the govt- and goes into the treasury - then Tourist dept./ Conservation etc have to weedle some of it back out of the Treasury officials!!
Much much better if it accrued direct to the Tourist Dept Board(has elected MLAs on it) - and they then allocate the investment into the improvements they know are needed and Conservation can apply as well for tourism wildlife linked projects and research, and tourist on shore operators apply for loans etc to invest to improve the shore facilities and excursions they can offer. If the Museum get their £5 a head - deal is they then no longer receive any other form of annual subvention from FIG like they always have done in the past.
FIG need to take a view of prevailing competition and prices within the region. Why should every visitor (in effect) be charged 5 quid for a museum entry, when they may have absolutely no intention of visiting it. Importantly FIG should be investing in assets to encourage cruise ship tourism, not chasing it away by imposing the highest fees in the region. Just how daft is that? Perhaps its an attempt at blatant rip-off? Would seem so.
Dec 29th, 2017 - 03:05 pm 0We cant seem to get WC male and female signage sorted out - how many x 5 quids to resolve that?
If thats the price that you are going to charge reflect it in top quality jetties, decent clean loos, plenty of benches for a rest, security and perhaps free entry to that interesting museum and the cathedral.
Dec 29th, 2017 - 04:16 pm 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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