St. George's retailers are hoping that the Economic Empowerment Zone (EEZ) will revive flagging sales and boost trade when it is rolled out in the town over the next two years.

Alison Bardgett, owner of East End Flower Alley, whose business has been going from strength to strength since it opened in March, reckons the initiative, which has already proved to be a big hit in North East Hamilton, could help to regenerate the historic old town and bring in more trade.

But Jan Card, owner of Vera P Card, who relocated his enterprise from Hamilton's Front Street to the East End in April 2008, has called on the EEZ Agency, in conjunction with the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation, to change their mandate to include the return of cruise ships to St. George's, increased ferry services and a concerted marketing campaign to sell the town as a destination for tourists visiting Dockyard.

St. George's was buzzing with tourists yesterday in scenes reminiscent of better times. But the Norwegian Majesty cruise ship left town for the last time shortly afterwards and is not scheduled to come back next year.

"In the short run, from the point of view of St. George's, we must do whatever it takes to get a ship in here next year and we must increase our ferry service and then we must market in a serious focused way to the Dockyard cruise ships to bring people to St. George's," Mr. Card said.

"I can't see that the EEZ's mandate includes the things necessary to deal with the tourism problem — it may help with redeveloping buildings or help some of the businesses with a more local focus, but I am not hearing that it is wide enough to get involved in the issues such as cruise ships, ferries or marketing to people on ships in Dockyard, and that is where I think we could possibly make difference in the next year or two.

"But I just don't think they have got that in their tool kit."

Mr. Card said that trade for his shop was dropping off as the tourist season comes to a close, adding that the business had been doing as well as could be expected given the tourist trade in St. George's.

He said the recession was biting, but the same as in any other tourist-related market, while local business had not been hit as hard by the economic downturn.

"From a tourist market perspective, we are going into hibernation until next April to May, so even if things do improve in the US, we won't see anything until then," he said.

"If you subscribe to the double dip theory, then the chances are that at least the second dip will come during our off-season and then during our on-season.

"St. George's is a not a place for optimism as far as the tourist trade is concerned right now, primarily because we are going to lose our cruise ship and have got no hotel rooms — I don't know of anybody in the Caribbean basin that is optimistic."

Ms Bardgett said that trade was good in the run-up to the festive season and had remained steady over the past six months despite the economic crisis.

She said low overheads and cheaper rents than retail space in Hamilton had enabled the shop to pass on the benefits to her customers. "People are coming in for Christmas ideas already and we have started taking orders," she said.

"I think we have been really lucky — business has never been quiet since day one.

"We have been able to be more competitive with our pricing and give people more bang for their buck by passing on the savings to the customer."

With Christmas and New Year just around the corner, Ms Bardgett has an exciting new and innovative range of festive gifts, including chocolate stiletto and handbag sets, crystal cubes, hand-made vases and Steiff teddy bears combined with various flower arrangements.

An auction to sell off flower arrangements and two paintings by former Masterworks artist-in-residence Sean Sims will be held at the Christmas Walkabout night in St. George's on December 4, with proceeds going to the National Trust and PALS.