In 2011 Goteborg & Co carried out a survey to assess visitor impressions of the destination. The results are being used in the ongoing development of Gothenburg as a cruise destination.
About 350 passengers were interviewed in English, German or Spanish. The response rate was 61%.
The results showed that passengers spend an average of SEK482 per person (exluding pre-booked tours), the majority of which is accounted for by trade in the city itself.
The 65,000 passengers that visited in 2011 generated about SEK27m in tourist-related turnover. Shopping accounted for 61% of the tourist krona spent.
The average age of cruise visitor is 51 although the figure for visitors from Asia is lower.
There is a high proportion of first-time visitors to Gothenburg and they are very active when it comes to sightseeing.
The most important factors for cruise visitors are transportation to and from the centre, access to information in the dock area, the cleanliness and appearance of the city and the friendliness and language skills of the locals.
Gothenburg lives up to expectations on friendliness, language skills and cleanliness, however it falls a little short on transportation and information.
The city is considered to be very green. For independent travellers the majority explored on foot or took the shuttle bus. About 37% of passengers had pre-booked a tour on board. The average tour length was 4.5 hours.
This year a new survey is being conducted which will look into what the passengers think about the destination and how it compares with others in the region. Sara Eriksson, cruise manager Goteborg & Co, says: “I know that AIDA for example is really keen on this kind of information and is eager to know more about us. One of the purposes is to give the lines information, knowledge and selling points [about Gothenburg].”
The survey will be completed in October and presented to the cruiselines this autumn.
