EKOS consultancy practice was appointed to undertake the study which included interviews conducted during the 4-day event. 99% of respondents rated the overall experience of the Tall Ships Races as very good or good. Among the aspects highly rated were the attitude and helpfulness of staff and volunteers, information and awareness, and quality of food and drink.
Not only was the Lerwick event rated highly, also the Cruise-in-Company was well scored for their participation in Cullivoe, Baltasound, Aberdeen and Stromness. High percentages between 90 – 100% showed an appetite to return to future events in these locations.
Volunteers were an integral part of delivering the event and again there was a high level of satisfaction with 94% rating their overall experience as very good or good. Crew and trainee responses from the tall ships fleet echoed the positive rating at 97% satisfaction.
Visitor numbers to the Lerwick event were shown as 52,309 in total with 16,165 unique attendees. Visitor spend due to the event was calculated at Shetland impacts of £4.5M gross and £3.0M net direct spend. Travel and accommodation was the highest element but also significant expenditure on food & drink and retail, providing positive impacts to the local economy.
The business survey did not elicit a large number of responses but over half (54%) rated the tall ships event impact as positive or very positive and 40% as neutral. However 87% of the respondents are very likely or likely to welcome a similar event in future.
The overall cost to stage the Tall Ships Races in Shetland has come in at £2.3M. When the company prepared its cost plan in 2019, it was calculated to require £2.2M but inflation was added for event delivery in 2023. A conservative cost figure of £2.5M was used in the company’s Business Plan that was considered by funding partners. This was fortunate as the timeline for event delivery became very short due to the pandemic which meant turmoil with two years of Tall Ships Races lost and huge uncertainty in the events sector with many providers gone out of business. The company took on the challenge of event delivery following the award of the host port contract by Sail Training International in 2021.
Of the £2.3M funding required, 52% came from public funds and 48% from private sources.
Of particular note is the amount of sponsorship from private companies. 97% of the challenging target of £500k was achieved – a remarkable total for a small community. Almost half of this was through in-kind services provided to the company which included contractors providing labour, health & safety services, broadband, haulage & freight among others. These were all essential for event delivery and testament to the fantastic support from so many businesses to provide a quality event. In addition, earned income, particularly from ticket sales, exceeded the budget set.
Significant contributions included in the overall costs also came from partners Sail Training Shetland and Lerwick Port Authority. Sail Training Shetland separately funded 100 sail trainees through their own fundraising, exceeding their target for the number of trainees placed. They deservedly won a Sail Training International award in November as a Sail Training Organisation of the Year. Lerwick Port Authority provided all services to the tall ships fleet at no charge and made all the event sites available on the port estate, providing alternative arrangements for displaced customers.
The objectives of Shetland Tall Ships Limited to provide an enjoyable event showcasing Shetland as a place to live and work, promote tourism and sailing, engage with young people, develop skills and community confidence, has been overwhelmingly met. Positive media coverage has been estimated with a value of £0.6M with social media reach additional.
Malcolm Bell, Chair of Shetland Tall Ships Limited, said “As the year draws to a close, the positive Event Impact Assessment allows us to look back on what has been a memorable landmark event in the Shetland calendar. My thanks to everyone involved in making this such a huge success.”
“In conjunction with our main funding partner at Shetland Islands Council, we are turning our attention to some of the longer term legacy impacts that may be enabled through hosting the event.”
