Jump to content

Will the SPCo destroy what tourism sector we have left?


Max Power

Recommended Posts

I'm a fan of the Packet but I'm struggling to reconcile their fare structure. A visit to their site seems to confirm a whole host of complaints I have heard from potential visitors to the TT and MGP, and even outside of these peak times. 

£265 return for a foot passenger, £98 outside of this. 

It wouldn't be half so bad if there was a tourism industry here to service the needs of tourists, but we have watched that dissolve into nothing over the years. Around TT time, and now the MGP, hospitality is way overpriced for what is on offer.

I really think that without some action, we are staring down the barrel of a gun as far as being a viable destination is concerned. We can't sustain high fares and high accommodation costs on top of mediocre value.

This of course is not to mention the costs of shipping to businesses, which is in turn contributing to our expensive tourism offering and the costs of living here.    

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Max Power said:

I'm a fan of the Packet but I'm struggling to reconcile their fare structure. A visit to their site seems to confirm a whole host of complaints I have heard from potential visitors to the TT and MGP, and even outside of these peak times. 

Everyone said give it 2 years of IOMG ownership and it will be the Bus Vannin of the seas. They clearly only bought it to totally rag the ass out of it for cash just like all those PE companies did. We have to pay for that £50M new boat and the £100M Liverpool terminal somehow even if there’s no tourists left at the end of it.

Edited by C Montgomery Burns
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Meoir Shee said:

Plus a tenner each way for the privilege of walking your own push bike on, tying it up yourself with some rope and leaving it to the vagaries of all and sundry.  Zero facilities for your tenner, 100% profit.  Adds £40 return for a couple on top of the prices identified above.

Well why shouldn’t you pay for transporting your push bike?
Its a damn sight cheaper than putting your car on the boat.

Zero facilities?

Takes up space doesn’t it?

Edited by The Voice of Reason
Last sentence
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, ellanvannin2010 said:

Supply and demand and not just the steam packet.

Look at the easyJet fares to LGW for Sunday 11thJune

 

 

Screenshot_2023-01-20-20-04-59-18_6c23373dfecc507cb0fa5e7276111382.jpg

The 'supply and demand' argument only works when there is a demand, this is contributing to a falling demand.

And as demand falls, the sector contracts further and further!

Edited by Max Power
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Max Power said:

I'm a fan of the Packet but I'm struggling to reconcile their fare structure. A visit to their site seems to confirm a whole host of complaints I have heard from potential visitors to the TT and MGP, and even outside of these peak times. 

£265 return for a foot passenger, £98 outside of this. 

etc   

Given that the average UK salary is now well over £30K, this does not seem much. And people on £30K are certainly unlikely to be wealthy enough to be likely to be visiting niche motorsports events.

The issue, if there is one, is likely that the event itself needs to recognise that it needs to be able to appeal to the sort of people for whom these fares do not seem expensive. It will have no future if it relies on an increasingly elderly and less well off demographic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Max Power said:

The 'supply and demand' argument only works when there is a demand, this is contributing to a falling demand.

I thought the bike racing attendance was growing year by year, not falling?.

Plenty of foot passenger fares for £42 rtn just as there are plenty of cheap easyJet fares to LGW if you can be flexible and choose not to travel on peak days

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Max Power said:

The 'supply and demand' argument only works when there is a demand, this is contributing to a falling demand.

And as demand falls, the sector contracts further and further!

Goodwood FOS 4 day tickets this year are about £400 

https://ticketing.goodwood.com/PagesPublic/UserControlled/UserDefined.aspx?page=festival-of-speed-weekend&days=9f4ad7f4-8aa9-4806-9b94-0e76b5c91155

All IOMG are trying to do with the TT and MGP is substitute an excessive ticket entry fee for an excessive boat fare fee to the organizers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, ellanvannin2010 said:

I thought the bike racing attendance was growing year by year, not falling?.

Plenty of foot passenger fares for £42 rtn just as there are plenty of cheap easyJet fares to LGW if you can be flexible and choose not to travel on peak days

It's impossible to grow the attendance to previous levels, we do not have the bed spaces any more. 

The plenty of cheap fares when people are not travelling is a stupid argument really, people want to travel when they want to travel! It's no use coming in April, there's bugger all here, any more! 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Max Power said:

It's impossible to grow the attendance to previous levels, we do not have the bed spaces any more. 

The plenty of cheap fares when people are not travelling is a stupid argument really, people want to travel when they want to travel! It's no use coming in April, there's bugger all here, any more! 

Ain't that the truth!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fuel oil is priced in US dollars. On top of the huge inflation in oil prices, the strong dollar increases costs again.

I don't find Steam Packet fares to be unreasonable. I'm going across at February half term and flights to Liverpool for 2 adults and a child are £450 return (Loganair were cheaper than Sleazy too, as Sleazy wanted to charge £35 each way for one suitcase). The boat, taking a car, was less, but then it's February and who wants to go on the Ben in February unless they like puking.

It's supply and demand. It costs more to travel at popular times. And if people stop wanting to travel at popular times, fares will generally decrease.

Edited by Ringy Rose
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Max Power said:

there's bugger all here, any more! 

What kind of things which used to be here do you think people would come here for?

It's a fantastic place to visit for the fresh air, peace, beautiful scenery, fishing, nice (expensive) food and quiet. But it is never going to be mass market again. Kind of like Cornwall or Cumbria but without the traffic in summer. Let's keep it niche.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Max Power said:

It's impossible to grow the attendance to previous levels, we do not have the bed spaces any more. 

The plenty of cheap fares when people are not travelling is a stupid argument really, people want to travel when they want to travel! It's no use coming in April, there's bugger all here, any more! 

So what would the benefit to the company or the IOM be of selling the tickets cheaper at TT, the same number of visitors would visit by your argument as the limiting factor is bed spaces

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...