Santa Barbara News, Views, & Hyperlocal Information
At last Thursday’s State of the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, it was stated that 24 cruise ships will be coming to Santa Barbara in 2013. In 2011, a then record, 7 cruise ships arrived in Santa Barbara. Two years later, that number will more than triple. Many laud the economic impacts of these cruise ships on the local economy while others worry about the Disneyfication of the waterfront. What’s your view?
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Get used to it.
That’s an awful lot of ships, especially the tripled number. It seems like they should make arrangements for the shore boats to land somewhere other than Sea Landing.
2 a month doesn’t sound bad. What local still frequents the bum laden tourist areas anyways?…I know I won’t know the difference.
Will never get used to it.
I think I`ll hire vagrants[$12 hr] to hand out pamphlets describing the rape,murder,robberies & child molestations that occour & continue here.
Its a safe harbor not a port. Tie up to the Wharf
So we ban plastic bags but allow cruise ships? This is Council Member Frank Hotchkiss’s idea of a great way to stimulate the local economy. Wonder what the environmental cost is from the docking, shuttling of all those passengers to the shore, then on the shore to the Wine Country and other destinations. This is very high-impact tourism.
Good term. Bust out the costumed Barbara with dancing Chumash
Like our chief, most people won’t venture south of the border now…. Looks like we will need to be receptive to the idea of opening more business for this tourist onslaught. ( I’m still not giving up my state street bench, not on your life!
)
stupid, gross and just stupid.
I see nothing wrong with it. Santa Barbara is a tourist-destination city. They come by car, by plane and now by ship. There’s probably considerably more pollution from the vehicles.
Tourist dollars fund public services. The waterfront and Cabrillo Boulevard have become tourists heaven on weekends. SB is no longer a sleepy little town. Too bad in many ways, but popularity has its downsides.
Hi “Anon”..You said “Bust out Barbara & the dancing Chumash”…I`m a dancin Chumash & I`m gonna get some of that tourist dollar! Watch me [all dressed-up in Chumash regalia] at the mosaic on Cabrilho, playin flute, dancin & telling stories!
Yep and another ship sinking in mexico
http://gma.yahoo.com/passengers-text-dire-conditions-cruise-ship-081005868–abc-news-topstories.html
Accidents with cruise ships are happening all of the world and with increased frequency. Why anyone would go one a cruise is a bit weird butt if a large ship were to sink or catch fire or lose an engine it could devastate the coast.
What a great way to expose SantaBarbar to a whole new group of people. We are in the tourist business , we need more traffic to help keep small business in business. The city needs sales tax money to help maintain the city. I never heard of turning quality customers away. Any city would love to have this extra traffic. We have so many slow times in this city. When tourist business is not in season. We don’t have a convention center.
Sadly, SB has a rich history of rewarding success in small business areas by raising rents to run out locals and invite giant corporations to pay unsustainable rents. Greed is ruining SB business. Funk Zone is next…
I think it’s great. They don’t drive into town or park their cars.
It would be great to coordinate early opening times for some of our better restaurants and shops and then figure out how to publicize those businesses that want to be cruise friendly, instead of just the t-shirt shops.
Keep your diarrhea epidemics offshore please!
I’m all for it, and I think all the state street restaurant and retail shop owners agree. I a 70 year old cab driver who works days in Santa who’s in active retirement because I still need to make money to supplement what my limited social security doesn’t provide for me. When these cruse ships come we have better opportunities for taxi wine tours up into the valley and a very brisk ride business, to and from the cruise ship land all day long. I have good days when the cruse ships are in town. If the wealthy would support my business I would support there view point, but they don’t so I won’t support them. I’m having a hard enough time supporting myself.