Letters / The true cost of cruise

The article on the Lib Dem call for a tourist levy to be charged on cruise ship passengers was interesting.

Lib Dems push for cruise ship visitors to be included in tourism tax bill

This issue is persistently raised by one of the Green councillors in Orkney, Kristopher Leask, despite being reminded that Orkney Harbour Authority already charge £3.50 per person disembarking from such ships, including passengers and crew.

He seems to believe that a levy could be hypothecated but cannot explain how.

Part VII paragraph 10 of the current LPA Schedule of Charges under Capitation a charge of £2.28 each way for passengers is delineated, which appears to me to be similar to the £3.50 already charged in Orkney, and potentially greater at £4.56 if applied as stated.

Given the definite global movement against cruise ships docking, for example, Venice, Palma, Bar Harbor, Amsterdam, and some areas of the Norwegian fjords, and in other places, isn’t it time that the true cost of cruise was examined?

Leslie Sinclair
Kirkwall