The crowds and sales to tourists have been unprecedented on the main routes in downtown Vancouver, but business is slow off the beaten track. The crowds and sales to tourists have been unprecedented on the main routes in downtown Vancouver, but business is slow off the beaten track. (CBC)

Some Vancouver arts and crafts makers say Olympic tourists may be lining up for hours to get their hands on official Olympic merchandise, but they are not spending much on hand-crafted souvenirs.

Ingrid Doerr was expecting a surge of interest in local products, and organized 75 exhibitors and 40 artists to come together to sell their products in a huge store in Gastown, a popular historic neighbourhood right next to the Olympic zone.

But instead of booming sales, business at Canamade artisan market on Cordova Street has been extremely disappointing, Doerr told CBC News. This despite crowds of people flocking into downtown each day to take in the activities and pavilions.

"We really haven't had any tourists," Doerr said Monday, after a second weekend of poor attendance at the market.

Instead of the expected 5,000 people a day, they've been lucky to see 500 come through the doors, and some of the exhibitors are not even earning back their booth costs, said Doerr.

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, the lineup to get into the Hudson's Bay Olympic store has been stretching round the block, as eager Olympic spectators snap up the company's extremely popular line of official team Canada sportswear.

"You know it'd be nice if people could, you know, appreciate what Canadians have to offer, instead of lining up for two hours for red mittens made in China," lamented Doerr.

Jeweller Stephanie Menard hasn't sold enough to cover even her booth fees.

"My spirit's a little broken, to be honest," said Menard, noting the only things she sees selling, aside from the red mitts, are hockey jerseys.

"They see a Canada jersey and think 'that makes me patriotic.' But it doesn't make me patriotic, it doesn't make me feel like Canadians care about Canada," said Menard.

Doerr said she originally planned to run the market until the Paralympics end on March 21, but now she may be forced to close much earlier.