City holds first forum on cruise ship study
BY TIMOTHY O'HARA
Citizen Staff Writer
KEY WEST — It's hard to
find a type of tourism that generates as much debate on the island as
cruise ships. So when the city says it will ask residents for their
opinions on the vessels, even the survey process is scrutinized.
Dozens of people attended
the first public hearing Tuesday designed to generate input for the
city's cruise ship quality of life study. Another forum will be held
tonight at Old City Hall at 6 p.m. The city has hired the private
consulting firm of Thomas Murray and Associates to complete the study,
which will look at the cultural, environmental and economic impact of
the cruise industry on the 2-by-4 mile island.
Tuesday's meeting
produced a lively dialogue, when talk turned to sending out surveys to
residents and business owners. Many in attendance said they had little
faith that the city would accurately gauge public opinion. One resident
declared that he was sure he wouldn't be surveyed, even though he wanted
his opinion heard.
The firm plans to send
out 1,000 surveys to residents, whom would be randomly selected through
their utility bills. The firm will send another 1,000 to businesses. If
35 to 45 percent of people reply, it will be enough for the random
sample to be scientific, company officials said.
"We have to make sure
we're covering this thing completely," local resident Herschel Hayo
said. "From what I have seen, you're not doing that."
Local tour mogul Ed Swift
said he wanted the survey to be sent to residents farther up the Keys,
because many of those people work in Key West and are impacted by the
cruise industry. When he was told the surveys would be sent to Key West
residents only, he responded "that's just horrible."
Members of the consulting
firm handed out questionnaires at Tuesday's forum, with questions that
included "why did you move to Key West or if you were raised in Key West
what made you stay," and "what are the critical issues relating to
cruise ship tourism?"
The group also will
survey cruise ship and non-cruise ship tourists in Key West. The group
will survey 840 people this summer and another 840 this winter, Murray
said.
The group has hired an
economist, marine biologists and scientists to look at all impacts of
the cruise ships, including the character of Key West, economy and
tourism. The study is slated to be wrapped up by the end of 2005.
"Public input is the
key," Murray said. "We want to really quantify the impact of cruise
ships."
tohara@keysnews.com |
