Departments

Hotelbeds Group sells Destination Management division to TUI

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 31 March 2018 31 March 2018

Hotelbeds Group, the world's leading bedbank, has announced the sale of its Destination Management division to TUI, the world's leading tourism group, as continuation of Hotelbeds Group’s strategic focus on its bedbank core.

TUI will acquire for an enterprise value of €110 million all of the assets of Hotbeds Group's Destination Management division, which represents the Group´s incoming services offering and is made up of three main global brands: Destination Services, Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services, and Pacific World.

This news follows Hotelbeds Group doubling the size of its business by sales through the acquisitions during 2017 of Tourico Holidays and GTA, two leading bedbanks with a strong presence in North America and Asia-Pacific respectively. Following the integration of these two leading bedbank brands into the Group, there are now over 170,000 hotels selling to over 60,000 travel intermediaries globally via the Group's proprietary B2B technology platform.

Global Ports Holdings wins 20 year Zadar concession

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 21 March 2018 21 March 2018

Global Ports Holdings PLC (GPH), the world’s largest cruise port operator, said it has been awarded a concession by the Port Authority of Zadar for the operating rights of the Zadar cruise port in Croatia for 20 years.

The concession of Zadar will include cruise ship passenger port and terminal services, an international ferry terminal, roll-on/roll-off services, vehicles and passenger services. It will contain a commercial area of 2,400 square miles, with leasable retail and office space.

The signing of the agreement is expected to take place within twelve months, however the company said there is no certainty when the deal will be completed.

GPH is headquartered in Istanbul and listed in London.

Baltic Sea region sets record with more than five million cruise guests

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 05 March 2018 05 March 2018

More people than ever before are cruising in the Baltic Sea. That is what the newly published 2018 edition of the Cruise Baltic Market Review is showing, along with other positive developments from the past year.

Extensive data from 32 Baltic Sea ports lay the foundation for this year’s newly released Cruise Baltic Market Review. The report presents the developments from 2017 as well as the expected numbers for 2018, and shows growth in both calls, turnarounds and guest numbers reaching a total of 5,054,849 guests. The reason for the positive growth in the Baltic cruise business is to be found in the cruise guest satisfaction level, which is among the world’s highest.

“Cruise Baltic is very pleased to report that a record-breaking number of cruise guests are visiting the Baltic Region. Furthermore, we had a growth in both calls and turnarounds. The positive developments are caused by our high guest satisfaction level which comes from the fantastic service provided in all member ports. Our guests love the well-functioning infrastructure and the high intensity of ports that makes it possible for them to visit several capitals in a one-week cruise, where they can experience local authentic cultures but where the locals all speak English,” director of Cruise Baltic, Claus Bødker, says.

The record-breaking number of Baltic cruise guests in 2017 is equivalent to a 16,6% increase compared to 2016. In average, visitor numbers have been growing with 9,7% since 2000 going from a total of 1,1 million visitors back then to the approximately 5 million guests last year. Besides guest numbers, Cruise Baltic also experienced growth within calls and turnarounds, where the total amount of calls was increased by 15,4% and the number of turnarounds was 3,9% higher than the year before.

“Cruise Baltic had a great 2017, when looking at the growth we experienced on all parameters, and the positive development does not end there as we estimate that we in 2018, will be breaking visitor records yet again,” director of Cruise Baltic, Claus Bødker, explains.

Next year Cruise Baltic expects guest numbers to grow with another 8,4% meaning an increase of 1,2 million guests since 2016.

Cruise the Saint Lawrence to promote winter cruises

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 06 February 2018 06 February 2018

In the wake of demonstrated interest by the international cruise industry in the wonders of winter in ports of call across Québec, Cruise the Saint Lawrence (CSL) is spearheading an initiative to promote the development of winter explorer cruises for adventure travellers in search of authentic Nordic experiences. CSL is indeed set to market the merits of the winter season with an inaugural familiarization tour in mid-February.

As trends in travel substantiate a marked interest in cruise destinations such as the Arctic and Antarctic, Québec’s brand of Nordic experience features a singular blend of bracing outdoor and vibrant urban possibilities.

Three international cruise line and one trade media representatives will be setting off to discover what winter has to offer in Montréal, Trois-Rivières, Québec and Saguenay. Program activities include urban discovery tours, ice skating, tobogganing, a taste of Carnaval de Québec and the city’s famed ice hotel, dog sledding, skidooing and ice fishing. The tourism supply of those ports of call not on the program schedule will also be presented to participants, with topics covered to include an insight into Inuit culture in winter, baby seal observation on the ice floes off the Iles de la Madeleine and skiing in the Chic-Choc mountains of the Gaspé Peninsula.

Navigating the Saint Lawrence, Saguenay Fjord and Gulf of Saint Lawrence in winter can present challenges for cruise operators. Officials from Transport Canada, local port administrations, Canadian Coast Guard, Laurentian Pilotage Authority and other relevant authorities will therefore be taking part in an information session detailing technical requirements and services available to ensure ship and passenger safety.

The upcoming ground tour represents a first, not only for Québec but also for the entire Canada New England region. During the tour, winter offerings will be outlined for each of Québec, Atlantic Canada, the coast of Maine, Boston and New York. Participants will be outfitted by Chlorophylle, a Québec-based manufacturer of upmarket outdoor gear for which the prospect of a winter cruise season comes ripe with commercial potential.

Cruise the Saint Lawrence is a sectoral organization which groups together the nine ports of call located along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River. The mission of the organization is to grow cruise market activities in Québec and across Destination Canada New England through the provision of marketing and development services to members. Cruise the Saint Lawrence enjoys the support of partners Tourism Québec, Québec Tourism Industry Alliance and Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Southampton handled 2.0 million cruise passengers in 2017

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Ports & Destinations Ports & Destinations; Published: 06 February 2018 06 February 2018

A record breaking 2.0 million cruise passengers used the Port of Southampton in the UK in 2017 a, said Associated British Ports, the port’s owner, in a statement.

Every time a cruise ship visits Southampton, it is estimated to bring a cash boost of £2.0 million and in 2017 there more than 500 cruise calls. ABP Southampton Director, Alastair Welch, said: “2017 was a record-breaking year for the Port of Southampton and 2018 looks set to be even busier.