The cruise, ferry and river industries gathered in large numbers at last week`s
The cruise, ferry and river industries gathered in large numbers at last week`s
For the first time river cruising came under the spotlight, both in the conference and in the exhibition halls, which was greeted with enthusiasm by the delegates and exhibitors. We have met great interest for our products from the river cruise segment as well as from the cruise and ferry segments, said Mikael Friberg, key account manager of Electrolux Leisure Appliances. `We have received some hot leads that we can start working with right away`.
The Seatrade Europe conference was the first opportunity for the industry to meet in Europe since September 11 and a chance to express solidarity and a unified sense of purpose in dealing with the consequences of these events, said Christopher Hayman, Seatrade`s Managing Director. The terrorist attacks did not dominate the proceedings however, as the conference also focused on Europe`s growing potential as a destination, as a builder of cruise Vessels, as a leader in IT and technology and a centre for cruise ship finance, added Hayman. Speakers Wolfgang Coym, MD, Hapag Lloyd Kreuzfahrten and Seetour`s Richard Vogel, SVP Sales and Marketing, expressed their confidence in the strong potential for German cruising and called for more products to expand the market.
The travel agent training programmes were fully booked, with agents and tour operators learning to sell cruise and ferry products more effectively. The winner of the Sea Tr@vel river cruise prize was Mr Michael Curry, the Managing Director of Cruise Specialists from the UK, who attended Tuesday`s cruise training course. For the first time, visitors to Seatrade Europe were able to pre – register before the event, saving valuable time at the exhibition. Many took advantage of this, and one lucky visitor won the Viking River Cruise prize. Congratulations go to Mr Peter Meisnitzer the President of Mediatour in Salzburg, Austria.
Senator Dr Thomas Mirrow, who opened the Seatrade Europe conference, warmly welcomed the event to Hamburg, and stressed the importance of Hamburg`s long maritime tradition and the pivotal role that the city has played in the development of Germany`s cruise and ferry industries. This week has demonstrated just how important Germany is to all the sectors that we cover in this event, Hamburg has proved an ideal venue with great hospitality demonstrated both by the city and the Hamburg Cruise Center and many other supporting organizations, says Christopher Hayman, we look forward to returning in 2003.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
