St. George’s business owners have asked Government for six fast ferry visits and shuttle buses from Dockyard in 2012 as they look to take a “new approach” to boosting tourism in the New Year.Cheryl Hayward-Chew, head of the East End Division of the Chamber of Commerce said if Old Town businesses were to survive, St George’s must work with the resources that were available to it now, and not what it might have in the future.She said that meant focusing on transporting as many cruise passengers as possible by ferry and bus from Dockyard to St George’s.“We need the critical mass and we can do that with cruise ship visitors and the tourism we get already from the (71-cottage) St George’s Club.”Despite proposals for a luxury resort, a boutique hotel, and a dedicated cruise ship, Mrs Hayward-Chew said St George’s could end up with none of those things, or at least nothing for several years.She said the reality was Government did not appear to back building a cruise pier at Murray’s Anchorage while blasting away parts of three islands to widen Town Cut was not widely supported.The Corporation of St George’s is talking to Government about the possibility of scaling back the widening of the channel while still allowing the larger ships to fit though it.However, Mrs Hayward-Chew pointed out: “Both modifying the Town Cut and building a Murray’s Anchorage pier are huge capital projects that will only go ahead once the proper engineering and environmental studies are in place. The Bermuda Government’s Shipping Channel Study is reported to state that the Town Cut modifications would not be complete until 2017.“The Murray’s Anchorage pier is touted to be a fasted alternative, but regardless will take at least two to three years. Bottom line is St George’s needs to focus on making a change in 2012. Without change, businesses will fold and new businesses and entrepreneurs will shy away from investing in the Town.”Mrs Hayward-Chew said that’s why in 2012 the business community was spearheading an effort to speak with one voice and to draft a plan of action that focused most on short-term goals.“We need to be efficient and focus on actions that have the biggest returns in the short term,” said Mrs Hayward-Chew.She said the St George’s business community was built up in the 1970s, 80s and 90s thanks to a large resort that being the former Holiday Inn, then Loews, and finally Club Med, plus the former Naval Air Base and dedicated cruise ships.“As each of these aspects was eliminated, the number of associated residents, workers and visitors decreased,” she said. ”Thus in 2009 when the Norwegian Majesty left St. George’s for the final time, the St George’s volume of business was already dramatically decreased. With no ship, 2010 was very difficult and the 2011 decrease in ferries dropped the volumes further.”She said St George’s businesses have heard the public’s feedback on why shops don’t open later or earlier and target locals more, but the reality was there were not enough residents to justify longer hours.She said St George’s had seen fast ferry service nearly cut in half from 2010 to 2011, from six trips to four.Thus, for the 2012 season, both the Corporation and East End Chamber of Commerce had asked for a major increase in ferry service from Dockyard to bring cruise passengers to St George’s, plus dedicated shuttle buses from Dockyard to St George’s and from Hamilton when the Veendam was in port.She noted the fast ferry trip from Dockyard to St George’s took just half an hour.She said there were four fast ferry trips in 2011, but passengers essentially came down on the 10am and 11:45am and then went back to Dockyard on the 3.45pm and 6.15pm departures from St George’s.It was thought that the Bermudian was going to serve St George’s on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. But it turned out once the cruise ship season started the Bermudian schedule was changed to serve the East End only every other Monday and Wednesdays and Thursdays.The Explorer of the Seas, which carries over 3000 passengers, is scheduled in Dockyard for one day visits on alternate Saturdays in 2012 and Mrs Hayward-Chew said the passengers must be given the option of a ferry to St George’s.Requests for more ferries came from both the Chamber of Commerce and the Corporation of St George’s.She said Government officials had been very supportive of the Chamber’s requests and desire for better transportation links between the East and West Ends and she was hopeful that they would at least get increased ferry and bus service in 2012.She said the East End Chamber of Commerce also was pushing Marine and Ports for the ferry dock to be moved to a better and more prominent location than where it was now, which is alongside the car park behind the town hall.“It’s not the most welcoming area to arrive in St. George’s,” she said. “If it were at Penno’s Wharf at least visitors would have the World Heritage Centre. Also there would be better people flow through the town if the ferry dock were at Penno’s Wharf.”Mrs. Hayward-Chew said because of various groups’ passion for St. George’s there were many voices representing the Old Town., including, among others, the Historical Society and East End Economic Empowerment Zone.But in 2012 she hoped they would all be able to speak with a unified and consistent voice on the major issues.“We are working on a plan of action, aligning the different groups,” she said. She said the plan of action would be drafted early in the New Year.