The city of Savannah, Ga., already is known for its heat, hospitality, history and haunts. Because it also wants to be known for its H2O, however, America's most haunted city has commissioned a study of its coastline in order to determine whether it should open its ports to cruise ships.
Approved last month, the $130,000 study — paid for with $50,000 each from the city and the state, and $30,000 from the Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (SACVB) — will take six months to complete and will consist of two parts, according to the
Savannah Morning News. Part one will assess cruise industry demand, consider an appropriate port site and preview the project planning process. Part two, meanwhile, will consist of a financial analysis encompassing economic impact and feasibility.
"I think the timing is perfect for Savannah to seize on this," Alderman Tony Thomas told the Morning News. "We have the political will, but more importantly, from talking to the business contacts I have around the state, people can't wait to drive to Savannah and take a cruise leaving out of here."
Although Savannah completed a similar cruise ship study approximately a decade ago, city officials believe the time is ripe to revisit the issue, as nearby Charleston, S.C., opened its ports to cruise ships earlier this year and so far has reported $1 million in economic impact every time a ship docks there, or approximately $70 million per year.
"I believe that the business community and the elected leaders of Savannah and Chatham County and the region must embrace the notion of a brand-new industry coming to our city," SACVB President and CEO Joe Marinelli told the Morning News. "We will have a different kind of food and beverage providers, businesses providing bed linens in large quantities, machine shops, maritime suppliers — all of that makes for new industry, for new jobs, way before we fill one hotel room or sell one more T-shirt or praline. It's a megasite opportunity on water."