JimD
08-03-2004, 12:02 AM
Monday, Aug 02, 2004
HALIFAX (CP) - An international fleet of tall ships set sail from Halifax on Monday, leaving behind a bulging treasure chest of tourism booty.
At the Bluenose restaurant in the city's downtown, owner John Carvalho joined staff working furiously to serve a lineup of hungry visitors wearing T-shirts festooned with images of square-rigged vessels. "The last three days have been a record-breaker for us," said Carvalho, as he rang in bills at the counter cash register.
"I know yesterday (Sunday) we went through 3,500 paper place mats."
Organizers estimated about 400,000 people strolled during the five-day event at the waterfront, slightly above expectations, and brought in $14 million in spending.
"A few restaurants have called saying it's the biggest day they've had in history, including the tall ships event in 2000," said Fred Were, president of the Waterfront Development Corporation.
He said the visit of the nearly 40 tall ships fit nicely with the city's image of itself as a historic naval base. Preliminary talks have already begun to bring the ships back to Halifax as early as 2007 or 2008.
The visit of the barques, brigantines and schooners also seemed to drive off some of the tourism malaise created by a July shrouded in fog, damp and rain.
Attractions varied from ships like the Tenacious, a 65-metre barque outfitted to accommodate disabled sailors, to the traditional beer tents set up beside waterfront condos.
About 800 people, the majority between 16 and 25 years old, spilled off the ships into the party-like atmosphere, relieved to have a break from their duties either as naval cadets or trainees under the American Sail Training Association.
They were greeted by tourists and locals alike.
"I love it. I love sailors," declared Sarah LaPointe, 17, of Boston, as she walked the waterfront with her mother and sister.
A visiting delegation from Victoria, where a west coast tall ships event is being planned for next year, was in town to see the Halifax festival in action.
Jamie Webb, chairman of Tall Ships Victoria 2005, said the concept of tall ships festivals is taking off across North America.
"They're clean, they're green, they're tourist friendly and they're big economic generators," he said.
The event was declared a financial success, despite the rapidly rising appearance fees for the ships. The cost of attracting a larger square-rigged vessel to the festival can reach $50,000.
Roughly $300,000 of the $1.8 million budget was raised by selling $10 boarding passes to sailing fans who filled the boardwalks along the harbour.
The only glitch appeared to be new national security measures that required tourists to produce photo identification whenever they boarded one of the ships.
One captain called it a "pain" that was unlikely to deter terrorists, and several tourists who didn't have their wallets stormed off Nova Scotia's Bluenose II schooner in frustration.
But organizers saw a silver lining in the incident, saying it will help encourage Transport Canada to set up a special security protocol for tall ships.
© The Canadian Press, 2004
HALIFAX (CP) - An international fleet of tall ships set sail from Halifax on Monday, leaving behind a bulging treasure chest of tourism booty.
At the Bluenose restaurant in the city's downtown, owner John Carvalho joined staff working furiously to serve a lineup of hungry visitors wearing T-shirts festooned with images of square-rigged vessels. "The last three days have been a record-breaker for us," said Carvalho, as he rang in bills at the counter cash register.
"I know yesterday (Sunday) we went through 3,500 paper place mats."
Organizers estimated about 400,000 people strolled during the five-day event at the waterfront, slightly above expectations, and brought in $14 million in spending.
"A few restaurants have called saying it's the biggest day they've had in history, including the tall ships event in 2000," said Fred Were, president of the Waterfront Development Corporation.
He said the visit of the nearly 40 tall ships fit nicely with the city's image of itself as a historic naval base. Preliminary talks have already begun to bring the ships back to Halifax as early as 2007 or 2008.
The visit of the barques, brigantines and schooners also seemed to drive off some of the tourism malaise created by a July shrouded in fog, damp and rain.
Attractions varied from ships like the Tenacious, a 65-metre barque outfitted to accommodate disabled sailors, to the traditional beer tents set up beside waterfront condos.
About 800 people, the majority between 16 and 25 years old, spilled off the ships into the party-like atmosphere, relieved to have a break from their duties either as naval cadets or trainees under the American Sail Training Association.
They were greeted by tourists and locals alike.
"I love it. I love sailors," declared Sarah LaPointe, 17, of Boston, as she walked the waterfront with her mother and sister.
A visiting delegation from Victoria, where a west coast tall ships event is being planned for next year, was in town to see the Halifax festival in action.
Jamie Webb, chairman of Tall Ships Victoria 2005, said the concept of tall ships festivals is taking off across North America.
"They're clean, they're green, they're tourist friendly and they're big economic generators," he said.
The event was declared a financial success, despite the rapidly rising appearance fees for the ships. The cost of attracting a larger square-rigged vessel to the festival can reach $50,000.
Roughly $300,000 of the $1.8 million budget was raised by selling $10 boarding passes to sailing fans who filled the boardwalks along the harbour.
The only glitch appeared to be new national security measures that required tourists to produce photo identification whenever they boarded one of the ships.
One captain called it a "pain" that was unlikely to deter terrorists, and several tourists who didn't have their wallets stormed off Nova Scotia's Bluenose II schooner in frustration.
But organizers saw a silver lining in the incident, saying it will help encourage Transport Canada to set up a special security protocol for tall ships.
© The Canadian Press, 2004