The Port Authority of Guam, which announced the ship’s arrival, invites local artists, craftsmen and other vendors to take advantage of the opportunity by setting up booths at the dockside. Only 30 vendor spots are available on a first come, first serve basis. Vendors must submit their applications today, the port authority said.
Studies done in Hawaii indicate that the average spending per visitor on a cruise liner is about $110 per day. If Queen Mary 2 passengers would spend about the same amount per person, Guam is likely to see at least $429,000 in one day, if they would stay all day.
If each passenger spends at least $10 at the vendor booths, that comes to a total of $39,000 spending at the dockside alone.
PAG will be waiving the $24.64 cost of a booth to any vendors who are registered with the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities and with the Guam Product Seal Program.
“I think this is a great opportunity for our artists because it gives them a venue to showcase their artwork to thousands of visitors. Operation Starboard also gives these visitors a chance to see and purchase locally-made crafts by our talented artists. I am hopeful that our artists will take part in the arrival of this cruise ship,” said Patrick Bamba, executive director of Guam CAHA.
The Queen Mary 2 is the flagship of the Cunard Cruise Lines and is as tall as a 21-story building, more than one hundred feet longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall and more than four city blocks in length.
The Port Authority will be conducting Operation Starboard which is the dockside vendor program that had a successful launch last year.
Operation Starboard was launched last April with the arrival of the Dawn Princess with 2,000 passengers. The visit netted over $43,000 alone from tours of Guam taken by 450 passengers.
In an earlier interview with Variety, Lou Aguon Schultze, chairperson of the destination management committee for Guam Visitors Bureau, reported that passengers of the Dawn Princess spent an average of $95 each during a three-hour tour on island.
