TopDeck
In this issue. AmsterdamDubaiBerlinMadridBelfastLas Palmas de Gran CanariaMoscowAthensHelsinkiHollywood/LASt PetersburgMalagaOsloSantander
Stage II/Issue 15
Amsterdam 2017 Sharing the Vision, Sharing Solutions
drid a M , n li r e B i, a b u D s / Trade Show C G s a lm a P s a L , t s a lf e / Destinations B City Sightseeing Worldwide Magazine May 2017.
Locally written, globally distributed
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Message from Enrique Ybarra / President & CEO City Sightseeing Worldwide
Seville, Spain. The home of the first City Sightseeing operation, which started on the 31st of March 1999
Dear friends, We met at the 2017 Annual City Sightseeing Conference and I’m sure good memories grow as the days go by. In Amsterdam we were received with great kindness and enthusiasm by Eric, Henk and all their team. We enjoyed a splendid social program and we had very productive business days. Now, you can relive those great moments in this issue. It is also time to reflect on the great experience we had thanks to an exemplary operative like City Sightseeing Amsterdam, as well as on testimonials of the keynote speakers our colleagues from different cities around the world. Today, the City Sightseeing brand is the most exposed brand in cities and touristic areas. This is a great achievement, but we must continue working to make City Sightseeing a brand and a service recognisable worldwide, synonymous with quality and a way of doing tourism. In order to achieve this, it is important that all of us respect the correct use of the brand, provide our customers with the best service possible, and give our best in order for the City Sightseeing network to keep growing. From the City Sightseeing Worldwide Headquarters, we will continue promoting the global brand in major trade shows, such as ATM, ITB Berlin or FITUR Madrid and arranging key agreements with tour operators, agents, OTA’s, preferred suppliers and institutions. I want to thank you once again for attending the conference and congratulate you for all the work you have been doing in your operations throughout the year. With your commitment, we will continue to take the City Sightseeing brand to new heights.
With my best wishes,
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/ Contents
TOP DECK has now entered into Stage II, with a new design and content layout. There have been 55 issues of Top Deck over the last 18 years.
/ Staff Editor Antonio M. Ortega. press@city-ss.com Associate editors Richard Morgan & Mandy Gaughan. Contributing writers Sergei Lavrentyev, George Grimley, Jane Marshall, Nils Erik Vik, Paul Cunningham, Claus Tworeck, Kian Farhadi, Oliver Nicholls, Piru Galan, Luismi Labrado, & Victoria Annett. Production Antonio M. Ortega and Juancho Gonzalez. Design JQKAS Comunicación Digital Publisher City Sightseeing Worldwide
City Sightseeing Moscow Crowned as Operation of the Year 06/07
We welcome your views about TOP DECK and any stories you might have. Please send any suitable items to: topdeck@city-sightseeing.com Printed by: Egondi Artes Gráficas This edition of Top Deck has been printed on CREATOR STAR FSC paper, where the virgin fibre comes from forests with strict criteria towards environmental protection. This FSC certified paper also incorporates other environmental standards such as chlorine-free bleaching. The FSC logo identifies products from well managed forests which are certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.
Report: 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
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Inverview: David Scowsill – WTTC
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Special Feature: WTTC Global Summit
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Front Cover Article: City Sightseeing’s Annual Conference Views expressed in the pages of TOP DECK are not necessarily those of City Sightseeing Worldwide, their Franchisees, Associates and Partners or the Editors.
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Special Feature: ATM Dubai
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Special Feature: FITUR Madrid & ITB Berlin
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The World of City Sightseeing
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Destination: Belfast
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Destination: Las Palmas GC
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Suppliers: DESIC
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Suppliers: Smart Tour Systems
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Gallery / Corporate News
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Gallery / Tour News
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Gallery / Staff stories
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Gallery / Customers & Richard Morgan’s Ramblings
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The Wall
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SIGHTSEEING TRAINS
EQUIPMENT INCLUDED: •
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Wagons with doors (right side).
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Two piston electric air compressor.
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Wheelchair ramp.
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Push button stop system.
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Open door acoustic alarm.
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Control equipment box.
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Mandatory and courtesy lights, using the latest generation low consumption LED technology.
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Sound equipment with long neck microphone, 4 speakers per wagon and radio, CD and USB.
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CitySightseeing painting.
ILERTREN A company with over 23 years’ experience in the industry, which gave us with the knowledge and expertise to begin to build our own trains in 2011. These many years of experience provided the insight to know the real needs of both passengers and the train driver which now enables us to produce a safe, high quality and unbeatably priced product. The locomotive model VS12 (New 2017) is based on a Toyota chassis with a 2.4L engine or 2.8l diesel CDI. Environmental regulation Euro 6 on emissions and development of a power of 150 hp or 180 hp. The maximum overhang is 15% or 18%. Three years or 100,000 km of TOYOTA International Official Guarantee.
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Tourism / 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development
I S E • a i a • e w • U f t •
The United Nations 70th General Assembly designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The UN believes this initiative is a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the contribution of sustainable tourism to development among public and private sector decision-makers and the public.
Twelve months to celebrate and promote the contribution of the tourism sector to building a better world. This is the major goal of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in order to recall the potential of tourism to advance the Universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute effectively to the SDGs. “This is a unique opportunity to build a more responsible and committed tourism sector that can capitalise its immense potential in terms of economic prosperity, social inclusion, peace and understanding, cultural and environmental preservation” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.
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Accounting for 7% of worldwide exports, one in ten jobs and 10% of the world’s GDP, the tourism sector, if well managed, can foster inclusive economic growth, social inclusiveness and the protection of cultural and natural assets. The International Year will promote tourism’s role in the following five key areas: (1) Inclusive and sustainable economic growth; (2) Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction; (3) Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change; (4) Cultural values, diversity and heritage; and (5) Mutual understanding, peace and security. The presentation of the International Year took place in Madrid on 18th January 2017 during FITUR Madrid. Read more in pages 18/19. See the celebrations at www.tourism4development2017.org
CULTURAL VALUES, DIVERSITY AND HERITAGE • Revives traditional activities and customs • Empowers communities and nurtures pride within them • Promotes cultural diversity • Raises awareness of the value of heritage
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Tourism Industry News Snippets Chinese tourists spent 12% more in travelling abroad
INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH • 4% or more annual increase in international tourist arrivals since 2009 • 7% of total world exports and 30% of world services exports • $1.5 trillion USD in exports from international tourism in 2015 • 10% of world GDP
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, PEACE AND SECURITY • Breaks down barriers and builds bridges between visitors and hosts • Provides opportunities for crosscultural encounters that can build peace • A resilient sector that recovers quickly from security threats • A tool for soft diplomacy
SOCIAL INCLUSIVENESS, EMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION • 1 in 10 jobs globally • Largest export category in many developing countries • 57% of international tourist arrivals in 2030 will be in emerging economies • Almost twice as many women employers compared to other sectors
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE • Committed to reducing its 5% of world CO2 emissions • Raises financing for conservation of heritage, wildlife and the environment • Can be a vehicle for protecting and restoring biodiversity • Must sustainably manage an expected 1.8 billion international tourists in 2030
2016 expenditure results from major outbound markets reflect increasing demand for international tourism across the world, as reported in the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. With a 12% increase in spending, China continued to lead international outbound tourism, followed by the US, Germany, the UK and France as top five spenders. Source: www.unwto.org
Tourism supports 1 in 10 jobs in the global economy Travel & Tourism generated 1 in 10 of the world’s jobs in 2016 as the sector grew by 3.3%, outpacing the global economy for the sixth year in a row, according to a new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). That means an increase from last year’s record of 1 in 11 jobs globally. Source: www.wttc.org
One million international guests expected to visit Russia due to WC2018 The FIFA has released some facts and figures on the impact and legacy of 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, including tourism forecasts – one million international guests are expected, plus a 71% increase in the volume of tourist services in host cities and a 57% increase in the number of domestic tourists who have stayed in the host cities’ hotels. Source: www.fifa.com 07
David Scowsill / The Future of the Travel Industry & Life After the WTTC
David Scowsill is the President of the World Travel & Tourism Council – WTTC, the most important private association within the travel industry. His privileged view point gives us the opportunity to approach our sector by looking at the big picture.
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How do you see the current situation of the travel industry? Travel & Tourism is an extremely resilient sector. Despite the various challenges, we expect our sector to continue to have grown over 3% in 2016 and to grow at an average of 4% per annum over the next decade. Recent UNWTO data also showed that international tourist arrivals grew by 3.9% in 2016, which is an additional 46 million travellers compared to 2015. So on the macroeconomic level our sector remains strong, however, we do also need to acknowledge that tourism has been hit hard in certain countries in 2016 because of terrorist attacks, political unrest, 08
and natural disasters. Nevertheless, as the figures tell us, people do not stop travelling, but might decide to change their holiday destinations based on what they perceive as safe. What do you see as the main challenge of the companies and governments within the travel industry at the moment? Through research and consultation with WTTC Members and outside experts we have identified three main challenges, these are: 1. Climate Change: reducing the sector’s contribution to climate change in line with international agreements and preparing for climate change impacts. 2. Destination Degradation:
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measuring, monitoring, and managing negative and positive impacts at the destination and company levels. 3. Disruption: protecting people and places through committing to a growth model which is inclusive of all stakeholders, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable. What are your main goals in 2017 from the WTTC? One of our goals is to further our outreach on sustainable tourism and stress the importance of putting sustainable growth of our sector high upon companies and governments’ agendas. We released our Declaration of the International Year of Sustainable
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David Scowsill Outgoing President & CEO WTTC
Tourism for Development to express our commitment to the issue and call on governments and companies to follow suit. Our Global Summit, held in Bangkok in April 2017, is one of the flagship events of the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. As we continue to call on governments to invest in Travel & Tourism and put the right policies in place around taxation, visa programmes and human resources, we also want to remind the world in 2017 that tourism is a force for good. Especially as we see a rise of populism and countries becoming more inward looking we need to be reminded that Travel & Tourism connects people across the world
and across cultures, it brings people closer together and –where open and sustainable– will lead to higher levels of peace. How do you see the partnership with City Sightseeing? WTTC is delighted that City Sightseeing joined as a Regional Member in 2016. It is great to have City Sightseeing as our Member as the company is vastly expanding across the six continents it operates in, and recently also started developing its business in the Middle East. We look forward to working with the company to further our mission of maximising the sustainable growth of Travel & Tourism.
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During the last WTTC Summit (see page 10) David Scowsill announced his departure from the organisation in June 2017. During his six-year tenure as the third President in the 26 year history of WTTC, Scowsill has taken the organisation to new heights, championing the private sector views in high level governmental discussions and promoting the sustainable growth of Travel & Tourism. “It has been a privilege to lead WTTC, representing the global interests of the private sector of Travel & Tourism, through advocacy with governments around the world. The membership of the organisation has doubled in the last period, but more significant has been the work with governments at all levels on the key strategic issues for the sector,” said Scowsill. “Working with a very talented team, we have consolidated the position of WTTC as the authority in the sector, whether through research, advocacy, or the impact of the Global Summits. I now look forward to focusing on new opportunities, knowing that I am leaving WTTC in great shape.” David Scowsill has been President & CEO of WTTC since October 2010. Amongst the highlights of his time, the public/private partnership with UNWTO has produced 84 meetings with Presidents and Prime Ministers, where messages about the importance of the sector have been directed to these key leaders. 09
Special Feature / WTTC Summit in Bangkok
The 17th Annual WTTC Global Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand has been the flagship event of the 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development for the global private sector. City Sightseeing participated alongside the key travel & tourism companies invited. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the only global body that brings together all major players in the Travel & Tourism sector (airlines, hotels, cruise, car rental, travel agencies, tour operators, GDS, and technology). In its Annual Summits, this covening power is supported by the participation of Heads of State, more than 50 government ministers, 600 Chairs and Chief Executives, and over 500 members of the global media over the last three years. For the second year in a row – in Dallas in 2016 and now in Bangkok– City Sightseeing was present among the select organisations invited to the event. On 26th & 27th April, the Summit allowed us to learn from world class speakers, like the former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, 10
Taleb Rifai from the UNWTO, Gary Chapman from Emirates Group and Gerald Lawless from Dubai Holding, together with representatives from companies like Google, MasterCard, Coca-Cola and many more. In addition, the delegates had the opportunity to interact with them. According to this year’s Summit slogan – “Transforming My World”, in line with the UNWTO Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the WTTC President & CEO David Scowsill urged over 900 leading figures from the public and private sector to stand up and make a real difference, to think about how we can be ‘Transforming our World’. Scowsill called on the sector to lead the world in the “eradication of poverty, cleaning up the oceans, and protecting habitats”.
Gerald Lawless, Chairman, WTTC; H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism, Kingdom of Thailand; David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC.
DAVID CAMERON AMONG THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS The Rt Hon David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016, addressed the Global Summit and discussed some of the key issues facing the world in which our sector operates. The youngest UK Prime Minister for almost 200 years, in 2015 he also became the first British Prime Minister to increase both his party’s share of the vote and their number of seats in the House of Commons, having already served a full term as premier. In Bangkok, David Cameron also had the chance to catch up with some of the WTTC Summit attendees, after his speech as a keynote speaker.
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2017 City Sightseeing Annual Conference / Sharing the Vision, Sharing Solutions
The City Sightseeing Family gathered once more for the Annual Conference. Amsterdam 2017. It was a great success and was filled with fun and valuable experiences thanks to the commitment of the City Sightseeing Amsterdam team.
From 25th to 28th March, the city of Amsterdam welcomed us with excellent weather and sun which allowed us to enjoy its many attractions in the company of City Sightseeing operators from around the World. Guided by Erik de Viser, Henk Philip and all their City Sightseeing Amsterdam team, we had the opportunity to enjoy lovely days of leisure and productive business days at the splendid Hotel Movenpick. The social program allowed us to discover several of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions at our own pace, such as a guided walking tour, the City Sightseeing Amsterdam boat and visits to Gassan Diamonds, Ice Bar, Rijksmuseum, Body Worlds or Dungeon. All together we were able to enjoy the City Sightseeing Amsterdam bus tour and a fabulous canal dinner, along with a VIP visit to Madame Tussaud’s, as well as 12
trips to Keukenhof and Volendam, Marken & Zaanse Schans. On March 27th the Amsterdam Marketing CEO Frans van der Avert opened the business sessions after a warm welcome to the operators by Erik and Henk along with Enrique Ybarra. In these sessions we were able to learn from the valuable testimonies of Dirk Lubbers from Heineken Experience and Griffin Hanbury from Expedia, as well as from Claire McKinney and Ruth Finch from Argent Health & Safety. Monday was an intense day with Quality Service and Security panels, the first presentations from our preferred suppliers, and corporate presentations. On Tuesday, the presentations of City Sightseeing Worldwide staff and sponsors continued, as well as a new panel on upselling. On the whole, we were able to learn about all the work done
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in the last year to promote the City Sightseeing brand, the new agreements signed with key players in the tourism industry, and learn from the experiences of other operators and our guests. As the conference slogan said, the presentations were chosen to share the City Sightseeing Vision and the Solutions needed to reach our goals. The Gala Dinner deserves special mention, for once again it served to recognise the most outstanding City Sightseeing operators in the last year. In the course of a spectacular evening at the Heineken Experience, filled with plenty of fun and great moments, the latest City Sightseeing Awards were presented. Discover the operations and personalities awarded on pages 14/15. 1 View of the conference hall. 2 City Sightseeing sunglasses. 3 Frans van der Avert from Amsterdam Marketing. 4 UNVI stand in the Market Area. 5 Smart Tour Systems presentation. 6 City Sightseeing Amsterdam staff with the Instagram frame. 13
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1 Excursion to Keukenhof. 2 Guided walking tour. 3 Athena Papareskou and Edmund Hinks during the visit to Madame Tussaud’s. 4 Cruise Dinner at the canals. 5 Excursion to Volendam. 6 Dirk Lubbers presentation. 7 Family photo of the participants in the 5th City Sightseeing Internacional Football Tournament. 8 Claus Tworeck and Henk Philip with the hostess trophy. 9 Griffin Hanbury presentation. 10 Biggest selfie in the City Sightseeing history took place during the Gala Dinner at the Heineken Experience. 11 Hostess on traditional dress delivers gifts during the business sessions.
CITY SIGHTSEEING AWARDS CEREMONY At every City Sightseeing Annual Conference, the operations that have stood out throughout the year for the quality of their service, customer service and the most important personalities of the global network receive recognition for their work. A positive experience in one city can make passengers choose our service instead of the competition in another city, while a bad experience can also affect other operators. For this reason it is so important that all operations maintain the highest levels of quality and respect to the global brand. And that is why it is so important to recognize the work done under the City Sightseeing around the World. Once again, the Awards Ceremony took place during the Gala Dinner, which took place at the Heineken Experience. After a delightful dinner and magical performances, among other surprises, the excitement came with the nominations for Best New Operator, Personality of the Year, Best Customer Service, Brand Ambassador and Best Operator of the Year awards.
CITY SIGHTSEEING MOSCOW HAS BEEN AWARDED OPERATION OF THE YEAR AND SERGEI LAVRENTYEV BRAND AMBASSADOR
Above, from L to R: Maria Molina, Mandy Gaughan, Enrique Ybarra, Sergei Lavrentyev, Nikolai Bragin, Yuri Bragin, Athena Papareskou-Hinks, Kami Farhadi, Jan LarsĂŠn, Henk Philip and Oliver Nicholls. Below, awarded operators. Dance, magic and singing performances. 15
Special Feature / At ATM Dubai for the Middle East Expansion and Beyond
The Middle East is a key market within the travel industry and ATM Dubai is one of the major trade shows in this sector. For another year, City Sightseeing was present in this great showcase to present the global brand portfolio. ATM Dubai celebrated its 24th edition from 24th to 27th April with the presence of over 2,600 exhibitors in 12 halls representing more than 150 countries, across 65 national pavilions. In order to meet growing demand, an additional hall was added for this year’s show. In this edition, 100 exhibitors joined ATM for the first time. From the stand ME 2000 in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, City Sightseeing featured the over 100 destinations involved in the global brand. This huge showcase is the perfect place to share ideas with the tourism industry’s leading professionals and discuss travel trends in the Arabian market. A big “Hello Dubai!” welcomed our guests to our stand at this year’s ATM. A colourful, friendly booth 16
allowed the brand to get great exposure and awe the travel industry professionals and the general public attending the Arabian show. Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2016 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, agreeing deals worth $2.5 billion USD over the four days. For us, the show also represents an opportunity to work on the Eastern expansion of the City Sightseeing brand. More than 40,000 travel professionals, government ministers and international press, visited ATM again last April to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at Arabian Travel Market.
ATM 2017 OPENING TOUR His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was joined by dignitaries including HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and CEO of the Emirates Group; and His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
1 City Sightseeing stand at ATM Dubai. 2 The City Sightseeing Worldwide and City Sightseeing Dubai staff attending the show. From L to R: Andy Lawrence, Tamara Garcia, Jeronimo Cardenas, Manu Rios, Sudha Sheshadri, Mohammed Mouhadda, Enrique Ybarra, Rocio Aparcero, Tania Flores, Oliver Nicholls, Antonia Jones and Amy Sykes. 17
Special Feature / Showcase at a FITUR Edition with Record Figures
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245,000 participants, 9,700 companies and 6,800 bilateral encounters attended. These impressive figures of the latest edition explain why FITUR Madrid is a must within the City Sightseeing travel trade show calendar. The best way to kick off the professional events season. The 37th edition of FITUR Madrid consolidated its priviledged position in the global tourism industry with unprecedented deals and number of attendees. The event experienced a 6% growth in participants and a 9% growth in both professional assistance and international participation. From 18th to 22nd January, FITUR was able to garner 245,000 participants, highlighting especially the weight of professional attendance during the first three days, which amounted to 135,838 visitors. Also about 7,500 journalists from around the world attended the event. It is worth noting the excellent valuation of the fair as a forum for international operations, where
thousands of bilateral appointments have been taking place without rest. Only the meetings organized by FITUR with its International Buyers program from around the world have generated a total of 6,800 business meetings, representing a growth of 10% over the previous year. Likewise, the growth of international participation has been significant, with 9% more exhibitors. In total, there were 9,672 companies that participated in the fair, from 165 countries. Consequently, the fair has grown by 10% in exhibition area, reaching 62,494 square meters, which have housed 8 pavilions of IFEMA to 755 exhibitors booth holders. The growing international recognition of FITUR 2017 has
been underlined by its choice by the World Tourism Organization as the site of the inauguration of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, declared by the United Nations Organization, strengthening its position among the most relevant events in the international ranking, and in particular, for the Ibero-American market. This excellent balance coincides with the best data of the tourist industry in Spain and worldwide, with 1,235 million tourists around the World. City Sightseeing has been attending this show for 18 years in a row, including the years of the financial crisis, and has strengthened the exposure of the global brand to take advantage of this major show.
1 City Sightseeing stand. 2 The Spanish Ministers of Home Affairs Juan Ignacio Zoido and Tourism Alvaro Nadal, with the Minister of Tourism of Puerto Rico Jose R. Izquierdo. 3 Riad and Zakarya Hamdan from City Sightseeing Budapest. 4 Oliver Nicholls and Enrique Ybarra with Brett Tollman (The Travel Corporation) and Anita Mendiratta (UNWTO). 5 Isaac Flores, Enrique Ybarra and Antonio Benitez with Rafael Juan Gonzรกlez Robayna, councillor of Tourism of Arrecife. 18
Special Feature / Big Exposure at ITB Berlin ITB Berlin confirmed as the largest travel trade show with over 10,000 exhibitors from 184 countries. As the meeting point for the tourism industry, City Sightseeing could not miss the opportunity to showcase the global brand and its network of over 100 destinations.
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From 8th to 12th March, more than 10,000 exhibiting companies from 184 countries and regions displayed their products and services on 1,092 stands to visitors at ITB Berlin. Once again, City Sightseeing was present. At this huge showcase for the travel industry, the global brand was featured together with the over 100 destinations operating within the City Sightseeing network. At this major event for the global tourism industry, the City Sightseeing brand stood out among the latest products and trends on an area covering 160,000 square metres. That gave us the opportunity to catch up with key agents, tour operators and OTA’s, together with existing and potential City Sightseeing operators, suppliers, institutions, the media and the public. Furthermore, at the 51st edition of ITB Berlin the number of key decision makers present was impressive. Two-thirds of trade visitors said they were directly authorised to buy travel products. Eighty percent of the Buyers Circle members were able to make direct decisions and had more than
500,000 € at their disposal. Over one-third of the buyers present were able to spend more than 10 million euros. ITB demonstrated that face-to-face meetings between business partners from around the world have become increasingly important, especially at a time of uncertainty and geopolitical challenges. One of the trends which has taken hold everywhere in the travel industry was evident in each of the 26 display halls: the digital transition has taken over the business of selling tourism at breathtaking speed. Positive forecasts for the European economy and in particular for Germany as one of the biggest source markets for international tourism have also given the sector a boost. The travel industry’s high expectations for 2017 have been significantly helped by a resolutely favourable mood among consumers, while unemployment has sunk to historically low figures. One topic that occupied exhibitors and visitors throughout was consumers’ increasing concern for their safety.
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CANADA Toronto
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Chicago Los Angeles & Hollywood Miami New Orleans New York Orlando Philadelphia San Antonio San Francisco Washington DC
ICELAND Reykjavik
PORTUGAL Albufeira Aveiro Funchal Lisbon Porto Sintra
CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN Cartagena Panama City San Juan SOUTH AMERICA Lima
THE WORLD OF
CITY SIGHTSEEING
SPAIN Arrecife Barcelona* Benalmadena Cadiz Cordoba Jerez Las Palmas Gran Canaria Lleida Malaga Palma De Mallorca Santa Cruz De Tenerife Santander Seville Toledo
U B B B B C C C D D E
e * a z a z a a a a e r e
UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND Bath Glasgow Belfast Inverness Bournemouth Llandudno Brighton London Cambridge Newcastle/Gateshead Cardiff Norwich Chester Oxford Derry/Londonderry Stratford upon Avon Dublin Windsor Edinburgh York
REST OF EUROPE: BELGIUM Brussels CYPRUS Paphos RUSSIA Kazan Moscow St. Petersburg
CZECH REPUBLIC Prague DENMARK Copenhagen ESTONIA Tallinn FINLAND Helsinki FRANCE Paris GEORGIA Tbilisi GERMANY Aachen* Berlin Cologne* Dortmund* Düsseldorf*
Hannover* Kiel Potsdam Stuttgart* Trier
GREECE Athens & Piraeus Corfu MIDDLE EAST: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Dubai Sharjah SAUDI ARABIA Al Madinah
HUNGARY Budapest LUXEMBOURG Luxembourg
SINGAPORE Singapore
MALTA Gozo
*New in 2017
ITALY Florence Genoa Livorno Messina Milan Naples Padova Palermo Rome Sorrento Turin Verona
Malta
NETHERLANDS Rotterdam Amsterdam SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town Johannesburg & Soweto
AUSTRALIA Melbourne
NORWAY Alesund Bergen Geiranger
Oslo Stavanger
POLAND Krakow
Warsaw
SWEDEN Gothenburg
Stockholm
UKRAINE Kiev
*City Sightseeing Affiliate
In his words / George Grimley – City Sightseeing Belfast Belfast
George Grimley Director CS Belfast
For years Belfast was off the tourist scene, but now, accolade after accolade and award after award, the city is regularly listed within the “not-to-be-missed” global destinations. City Sightseeing Belfast’s award-winning HoHo city tour is the perfect way to discover it all.
1 Quality Service For the 4th consecutive year, CS Belfast has received 4-star accreditation from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and 4.5 stars on Trip Advisor with thousands of travellers over the world singing their praises The Brand Tour operators everywhere are clamouring to climb on board to bring the City Sightseeing brand to their part of the world. And it’s easy to see why. Its business model and its reputation are second to none 22
The city has changed dramatically, what challenges do you still face? The main and most obvious challenge facing the tourism industry in Belfast and, indeed, the whole of Northern Ireland, has been overcoming the public’s perception of our troubled past. Visitors began arriving and new tourist attractions have been opened and, although the whole question of Brexit has thrown up many challenges and obstacles in the tourism industry across the UK, it’s quite clearly been of benefit to those of us working in the industry this side of the Irish Sea. You have surprised us with a Pokemon Tour and featuring in TV series. What’s next? In recent years screen tourism in NI has really taken off thanks to the decision of HBO to choose Belfast as the main location for Game of Thrones. City Sightseeing Belfast has sought to maximize the screen tourism opportunities from Game
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of Thrones with a hugely successful Game of Thrones sightseeing tour around the mythical world of Westeros and Winterfell. We have also operated a daily Giant’s Causeway tour from Belfast and will be the first in Ireland to produce a multi-lingual commentary for a day tour. As one of the latest Brand Ambassador nominees, how do you see City Sightseeing helping your operation? The City Sightseeing brand is recognised worldwide and is synonymous with quality. In international brand recognition league tables, it’s right up there with companies like Coca Cola. So that even when our competition are selling their tour for sometimes up to half the price of our tour, we find that combined with the exclusive offers we can offer with the attractions and the global recognition of the brand we are the first choice for the majority of visitors and locals for tours.
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/ BELFAST A BRAND-NEW CITY NOT TO MISS
/ Destination Belfast has emerged from a turbulent past, and shaken off its reputation as a troubled city. With a surge of hip new restaurant openings (and a couple of Michelin stars), bars, museums and sights to rival many a European city, Belfast has established itself as a destination worthy of a mini break. Some attractions include the Belfast City Hall, The Grand Opera House, Queen’s University, Belfast Castle, the Cathedral Quarter together with the olde-world charm of St George’s Market – voted Best Large Indoor Covered Market in the UK – and other stunning places. Thanks to these and other exciting landmarks, Belfast has become one of the most visited cities in the UK.
/ Highlights
> The capital city of Nothern Ireland > The cradle of world’s famous Titanic and a setting of Game of Thrones TV series > A centre for the Irish linen industry, shipbuilding, etc.
CS Belfast bus
City Sightseeing Belfast Start Point: Red Line - Castle Place Green Line - Belfast Castle Duration: 90 mins Frequency: Every 30 mins Season: All Year Round Ticket Length: 24 or 48 hours Commentary: Pre-recorded Italian, Spanish, German, Chinese, French plus live guide in English on every bus >The city in figures Belfast 335,000 inhabitants 9.5 million tourists Speak English
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In his words / Antonio Benitez – City Sightseeing Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas GC
Antonio Benitez Operations Manager CS Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
City Sightseeing Las Palmas GC has not only shown the most beautiful sights of the capital of the Gran Canaria island for the last nine years, but it also has contributed to create new products to increase the number of tourist attractions in the city.
1 LPGC Experience release Isaac Flores, Antonio Benitez and Pedro Quevedo during the presentation of the succesful product, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Experience SCR Free tours for residents, present delivery during Christmas and other Charity projects are part of the SCR policy of the Canary operation 24
Public-private collaboration is key in an industry such as sightseeing tours in which so many factors affect the citizens and the city itself. How are you doing in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria? It is fundamental to have an understanding with the authorities, not only to make the operation more fluid, and thus more attractive for tourists and more beneficial for the city, but because by working together we create a more interesting experience that encourages visitors to come again. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the local government has understood that we can act as enablers of tourism and the economy of the city. As an example, the Tourism Councilor Pedro Quevedo presented our Las Palmas GC Experience, a combo ticket that allows us to offer everything you cannot miss in the city at unbeatable prices.
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What does Las Palmas GC add to the City Sightseeing portfolio of destinations? Travellers interested in sun and beach will find a place to rest and have fun all year round, but also cultural attractions, activities, traditional celebrations, gastronomy... We are making great effort to gather all this offer by linking the capital with the beaches of the South of the island. And how do you see us helping the city’s tourism development? To be involved in such a global brand like City Sightseeing ensures great exposure with agents, tour operators, OTA’s, airlines or cruise ship companies, as we can see in every major travel trade show. At the same time, the company is fully committed to the City Sightseeing destinations in terms of promotion, technology solutions and networking.
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/ LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA AN ATLANTIC TREASURE / Destination Founded in 1478, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has historically been a strategic port on the Atlantic. Located just 150 kilometers off the coast of Morocco, in the geographical area of Africa, it was a key stop in Christopher Columbus’ travels to America and coveted by the famous English pirate Francis Drake. Today it remains one of the most active cruise and cargo ports in Spain and Europe and is the capital of the island of Gran Canaria. Las Palmas enjoys a warm climate throughout the year and different cultural attractions such as Casa Colón, Pérez Galdós Theater, Santa Ana Cathedral or the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, which is possible to get to know aboard the bus, add to its beautiful urban beaches.
/ Highlights
> The co-capital (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife) of the Canary Islands > Average annual temperature of 21.3 °C (70.3 °F) > The leading port in the mid-Atlantic
CS Las Palmas de Gran Canaria bus
City Sightseeing Las Palmas GC Start Point: Stop 1 - Parque de Santa Catalina Duration: 75 mins Frequency: Every 25-35 mins Season: All Year Round Ticket Length: 24 hours Commentary: Pre-recorded Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Swedish and Norwegian >The city in figures Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 380,000 inhabitants 400,000 tourists Speak Spanish
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Bus Operative / They Make Your Job Easier!
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The way to happier customers, with all the updated information available on their smartphones. When your customers know they always have all the information they need, constantly updated and in any location, they can focus on what they really want to do: have a great time enjoying the experience you provide in each city
Bus Operative facilitates and simplifies your daily operations management so you can be sure your customers have all the information they need - next bus arrival time, timetables in real time, city tourist guides, info about what to see and do, bus journeys and stop locations… and always, always, always updated in real time.
y: What our customers sa
mers across Spain we not only give our custo e tiv era Op s Bu to s nk ha “T and things to see out journeys, timetables ab e tim l rea in ted da up information d management. ve operations planning an pro im o als erative we t bu , do d an sier, because with Bus Op ea be ll wi job ur yo d an ier e, and it will And you will also be happ m anywhere and at any tim fro n tio era op ur yo ge na ts.” you will be able to ma and managing daily even ing nn pla rs, ve dri d an les vehic always be under control:
ISAAC FLORES EEING SPAIN DIRECTOR CITY SIGHTS 26
DAVID LEON CEO, DESIC At DESIC we have 20 years of experience offering our customers the benefits of what we do best: providing simple, proven and affordable technological solutions to help you make your job easier and more effective. That means you can also spend time doing what you do best: improving your operations management to make your customers happier and more satisfied... and ready to tell the world how happy they are because of you! We take care of everything: installation, training, support and maintenance. No need to buy complicated, expensive, difficult to maintain systems. Everything’s available in the cloud, accessible anywhere, any time, and you pay only for the time you actually use it. Contact us for a live demo: we’d be delighted to show you how we’re already helping other operators make their job easier. dleon@desic-sl.com busoperative@desic-sl.com
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GG Top Deck Ad_FOR PRINT.pdf 1 5/30/2017 3:23:01 PM
WE WILL MAKE WHAT YOU SEE AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE
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Our Great Guide systems have been proven to be one of the best for technical quality and reliability in the industry, thus ensuring that unwarranted loss is avoided.
In 2000, a Harvard Neuroscientist (Dr Margaret Livingstone) applied scientific method to why the Mona Lisa’s smile seems to shift. The conclusion was it’s all about where your focus is and how your brain responds.
Do you know how much value your business may be forfeiting? Let our Bus information system tell you. Are you interested in optimising your system productivity and value alongside quality customer experience? Let us show you how.
At Smart Tours, we know that the average sight-seeing tourist has a focus on value described through desired ‘feelings’ of enjoyment. They want to be entertained, amused, and become emotionally engaged in the city they are experiencing and to step off the bus saying: “WOW”!
Smart Tour System / When the Brain Makes Up Its Mind
We will give you a “Mona Lisa” smile and the focus that will make your brain respond with delight.
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After all, she’s cooped up TheBEST wayto Special see Cape Town! BEST way to see Cape Town!Projects BRIAN SEGAL underground in a temperatureE: brian@smarttoursystems.eu controlled prison cell. But the right M: +31 615 518 002 information, at the right time and P: +31 180 - 691 409 location, provides all that visitors W: www.smarttoursystems.eu need to imagine the entangled security required in protecting this priceless work of art and the mysteries surrounding her smile and allure. In 2000, a Harvard Neuroscientist (Dr Margaret Livingstone) applied scientific method to why the Mona Lisa’s smile seems to shift. The conclusion was it’s all about where your focus is and how your brain Our Great Guide commentary sees responds. that you have the best researched and At Smart Tours, we know that informed entertainment through our the average sight-seeing tourist has multi-lingual commentary systems. a focus on value described through These are always designed to combine desired ‘feelings’ of enjoyment. They the essence of humanity; which is to want to be entertained, amused, and experience both the Form of places become emotionally engaged in the and sights with the Spirit of emotion city they are experiencing and to step that certifies lasting memories. off the bus saying: “WOW”! Smart Tours also knows that 16 Language
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tour operators have a focus on value Distributed by: related to their businesses. Getting visitors to enjoy an experience is only one half of the equation. It must YEAR also yield a profitable result in fair WARRANTY exchange. We know that, in season, a malfunctioning seat unit can cost you an excess of 1,500€ per week, and a faulty commentary system a great deal more. Our Great Guide systems have been proven to be one of the best for technical quality and reliability in the industry, thus ensuring that unwarranted loss is avoided. Do you know how much value your business may be forfeiting? Let our bus information system tell you. Are you interested in optimising your system productivity and value alongside quality customer experience? Let us show you how. We will give you a “Mona Lisa” smile and the focus that will make your brain respond with delight.
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Gallery / Corporate
> CITY SIGHTSEEING STARS IN THE OSCARS
> JOSE RUIZ LINKS THE EXPOS SEVILLA 1992 & DUBAI 2020
City Sightseeing was honoured to be part of the 89th Academy Awards. Unsuspecting tourists were surprised with a visit to the Oscars ceremony and given the opportunity to get an upclose glimpse of the star studded audience. We are proud City Sightseeing was able to showcase its brand at such an important event, as well as treat its customers to a once in a lifetime experience.
The Sevillian Jose Ruiz undertook a 22,000-kilometre motorcycle journey travelling through 23 countries on a 29-year-old BMW K75 in order to present the flag from the Seville Expo’92 to representatives from the Expo 2020 Dubai. We are proud to be supporting this adventurer in fulfilling his dream of uniting two great cities: Seville and Dubai. We will be following him on his return journey home, so keep an eye out on social media!
> MALAGA TOURISM PROMOTES IN BERLIN BUSES
> THE GLOBAL BRAND IS EVERYWHERE, ALSO ON TV
Taking advantage of this year’s ITB Berlin, Malaga Tourism authorities promoted their tourist destinations in the German capital on the rear of the City Sightseeing Berlin tour buses. In the picture, Isaac Flores from City Sightseeing Spain with the representatives from Malaga.
City Sightseeing is the tourism brand with the widest exposure in city centres and touristic areas. As we can see more and more frequently, the global brand is acquiring big exposure also in TV products. Recently we have found it in ‘Doubt’ TV Series, as you can see in the picture above.
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> GREAT EXPOSURE AT WTM AFRICA City Sightseeing South Africa attended the latest edition of WTM Africa with important news. With the recent addition of the Cape Point Explorer tour (see page 33), all the Cape Town’s Big 7 attractions are now linked conveniently and affordably by the City Sightseeing Cape Town bus. To inaugurate this deal, our colleagues from South Africa hosted a celebration with collaborators, together with the Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde, the Democratic Alliance’s Shadow Minister of Tourism James Vos and Thebe Tourism Group’s general manager, Brett Hendricks. World Travel Market Africa is the leading and only business to business (B2B) exhibition for inbound and outbound Africa travel and tourism markets and one of six shows in the WTM portfolio. Every year, nearly 5000 travel industry professionals attend the show in Cape Town. This year’s ATM Africa took place between 18th and 20th April and our colleagues from Cape Town and Johannesburg attended the event and achieved great exposure for the global brand and their tours.
Gallery / SCR
> CITY SIGHTSEEING CARES FOR BANGKOK As a 2017 WTTC World Summit attendee, Oliver Nicholls joined in giving back to the host city of Bangkok through a tree planting activity in the Bang Krachao region of the city – a vast area of green space just across the Chao Phraya River from Klong Toey. This area, known as “the green lung”, is used as an eco-tourism site, with walking, bicycling and kayaking tours available to visitors.
> SPECIAL TOUR FOR PEDAGOGUES IN MOSCOW In April, City Sightseeing Moscow organised a charitable excursion for 200 participants of the pedagogical laboratory “Design methods in the formation of civil identity among schoolchildren”, commissioned by the All-Russian Directorate of the educational project “MY COUNTRY IS MY RUSSIA”.
> JOBURG AS A ROLE MODEL ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS The magazine traveller24 has chosen City Sightseeing Johannesburg for its article “#EcoTravel: 3 sustainable tour operators worth supporting”. The publication underlines City Sightseeing Johannesburg and Cape Town as the first bus operator in South Africa to be certified carbon neutral.
> WARRIOR ON WHEELS ONBOARD SOUTH AFRICA BUS During the last edition of WTM Africa (see page 30), City Sightseeing South Africa welcomed Damian Gower from the NPO Warrior On Wheels Foundation as an honorary City Sightseeing staff/ family member.
> CITY SIGHTSEEING ST. PETERSBURG ON THE SUBWAY ATTACK On 4th April, the city of St. Petersburg lived the horror of a terrorist attack on its subway. The City Sightseeing operation was there to collaborate with the authorities with its buses to facilitate the assistance to the affected citizens.
> CITY SIGHTSEEING SANTANDER GREEN COMMITMENT City Sightseeing Santander is taking part in the project Urban Waste, which consists in the study and development of strategies about waste management in touristic cities, along with other 11 cities around the World.
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Gallery / Tour Stories > CITY SIGHTSEEING NEWCASTLE NEW LIVERY City Sightseeing Newcastle has unveiled a new look for the summer and is now on the road for visitors to Newcastle and Gateshead with the launch of the summer programme. With its brand new livery for the 2017 season, the City Sightseeing bus offers tours of the city and all its attractions – from the Newcastle Castle, Centre for Life and Baltic arts venue, to shopping, eating and drinking.
> MALAGA CELEBRATES WITH UNICAJA BASKET In April, Unicaja Basket won its second European competition – the Euro Cup. The whole city celebrated in the streets with a parade where City Sightseeing Malaga had special presence as one of the tour buses was used to carry the cup and the winners. Once more, City Sightseeing in the centre of sport celebrations.
> GLASGOW BUS DONATED TO MUSEUM In February, City Sightseeing Glasgow retired some of their Volvo buses which have given great service for almost 10 years. They donated one of those buses to their friends at Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust, whose museum is located only 15 minute walking from the Glasgow Green stop. 32
> CITY SIGHTSEEING MOSCOW CELEBRATE SPARTAK HISTORY To celebrate their 95th anniversary, members of Spartak Society hopped on some of our buses in Moscow and went to the Spartacus Stadium for a museum visit, dinner and awards ceremony. City Sightseeing Russia is celebrating the long and succesful history of the Moscow sport club.
> SIGHTSEEING TRAIN OPPORTUNITY Are you planning to launch a sightseeing train tour in your city? That is your big opportunity with a special offer of our preferred provider Ilertren only for City Sightseeing operators. Discover the excellent specifications and amazing price in page 17.
> NEW HYBRID & FULL ELECTRIC BUSES BY UNVI Our preferred supplier UNVI, which has offered hybrid solutions to operators over the past years, will now be offering a new zero emissions solution. Aside from the legal requirements, electric-powered buses have benefits related to fuel consumption and a longer average service life. The URBIS 2.5 DD Open Top is a double-decker designed for enjoying a city’s main attractions with an infinite choice of interior combinations to suit customers’ needs and minimal operational maintenance is something to take into account. This model is available with the steering wheel on the left or right and in various sizes. The URBIS Open Top is without a doubt the ideal bus for urban tourism.
> SPECIAL TOUR FOR NEW YORK RANGERS On 2nd May, City Sightseeing New York called all the New York Rangers fans to join an show their pride in front of The Garden for the Eastern Conference semi-final against Ottawa.
> BUS WARS IN BELFAST City Sightseeng Belfast is starring in a new BBC NI TV Series about the competition in Belfast’s tour bus industry. As you can read in the Belfast Telegraph, the show is about sales teams from two city tour companies in the capital of North Ireland and how they compete in the market. The City Sightseeing Belfast tour guide Brian English says: “After my first week on the job, I thought, ‘I can’t believe they are paying me to talk about the place’. I feel the same today. I love it.” This is the kind of stories you will find in Bus Wars, the BBC NI show as from 16th January.
> CITY SIGHTSEEING SOUTH AFRICA LAUNCHES THE NEW CAPE POINT EXPLORER The Cape Point Explorer was officially launched on 1st February. Departing from the ticket office at 81 Long Street, the new bus provides an adventure of a lifetime to Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town to see the penguins and an unforgettable experience at Cape Point in South Africa. Well done Claus & team!
> OSLO CITY CARD 2017 UPDATE Oslo City Card now grants customers free access to all the best museums in Oslo like the famous Viking Ship Museum, Kon-Tiki and the Polar Ship Fram Museum, together with free tours with City Sightseeing Norway buses and the family friendly Oslo City Train, which is now in its 5th year of operation and is becoming quite popular. New partners for 2017 are The National Museum, The Munch Museum and Ruter for free travel with the public transportation.
> CITY SIGHTSEEING AT SANTA CRUZ CARNIVAL PARADE In February, City Sightseeing Santa Cruz de Tenerife took part in the city’s carnival parade achieving great exposure to the participants and the media. Estefania Gonzalez and her team turned a day off due to traffic restrictions into a publicity initiative. The buses and the brand were in the centre of the festival. 33
Gallery / CS Family
> YOUNGEST CONFERENCE ATTENDEE EVER! Vinny, the son of Emily Valentino and Filipe Madeira from City Sightseeing New Orleans, was born in May 2016 and at 10 months he became the youngest City Sightseeing Conference attendee ever. Previously, Matilda Osorio, the daughter of German & Leyla from Cartagena, attended Cape Town 2015 at 5 years of age.
> 20 YEARS OF BATH BUS COMPANY
> FANS FOR FUN IN THE SEVILLE APRIL FAIR
On 20th May, Bath Bus Company – the City Sightseeing operator in Bath – celebrates its 20th anniversary. As a thank you to Martin Curtis for his dedication and commitment to the continuing success of the company, the staff planned a few surprises to mark the occasion. Congratulations Martin & team!
In April, the City Sightseeing Seville sales team launched a campaign with the sales points throughout the city handing out a special April Fair kit with some useful supplies for the festival. See in the picture above part of the City Sightseeing Seville, Spain and Worldwide teams with traditional ‘abanicos’ (fans).
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> THE AMAZING STORY OF ARE MUZURI AND CITY SIGHTSEEING OSLO Are Muzuri is the City Sightseeing Oslo operations manager. He arrived as a refugee from Iraq in 1996 leaving the war behind. He came with no money, no clothes, nothing – but he had the drive to advance. After some years in Norway (and after he fall in love with Var Na-Ji Grytbakk, currently the CEO of City Sightseeing Norway) he started working as a bus driver for the first owners of City Sightseeing Oslo, Henrik Bendix and Anders Nilsen. He really liked the business and when Mr Bendix sold the City Sightseeing company to HMK, he and Var started their own company in competition with City Sightseeing. From the first year they managed to create a strong business in 2012 they joined a partnership with the Swedish based company Strömma Turist og Sjöfart. In 2014 they agreed to buy the rights for City Sightseeing brand in Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger from HMK. In 2015 they also took over the brand in the cities of Ålesund and Geiranger. Twenty-one years later, Are (and Var) run 5 different cities in Norway and have two small boys. “The reason for our succsess –says Var– is hard work, our love for each other and for City Sightseeing.”
> THAT’S HOW THEY GET YOU IN PANAMA Good humor between the City Sightseeing Panama staff as they were waiting for passengers of the Cruise Island Princess in Flamenco Amador to enjoy the Panama tour in February. That is the attitude our customers want to find in their cruise calls!
> RUSSIA PROMOTES ITS NEW HASHTAG City Sightseeing Russia has started using a new hashtag for photos featuring staff on its social networks. Why don’t we follow them promoting the hashtag #CitySightseeingTeam in recognition of City Sightseeing staff throughout the world?
> CITY SIGHTSEEING BRAND AMBASSADOR ON TOUR! Sergei Lavrentyev, our latest City Sightseeing Brand Ambassador, continues discovering the different City Sightseeing operation around the World. This tireless traveller has let us know from his last trips to Singapore and Dubai, where he has met other operators’ experiences.
> KATERINA AND JOHN FROM ATHENS See above two from the City Sightseeing Athens A-team: Katerina and John. They are always brightening up the day for their passengers. The tour and team always have plenty of surprises in store for passengers.
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Richard’s Ramblings Associate Editor’s Ramblings Having read my Ramblings in the last issue (TD14), my daughter Carole reminded me of the fantastic times we were fortunate to have in the early to mid-1990s. For four consecutive years, on New Year’s Eve I took an open top bus from Oxford to London, where it would be stabled and fuelled at The Original London Sightseeing Tour depot at Jews Row. This came about because of in-bound tour operators requiring open top buses for their clients who were participating in the London New Year’s Day Parade. New Year’s Eve accommodation, arranged by the tour operator, could range from the hotel’s smallest box room (with no facilities) to the luxurious penthouse suite with facilities for visiting VIPs and their harems! Evening meal was at an eatery of our choosing within walking distance of the hotel, but on expenses. My boss allowed Carole to accompany me on these hires.
Peter Kay delights fans with City Sightseeing Belfast In April, comedian Peter Kay delighted fans as he was spotted out and about in Belfast. The Bolton-born comic and actor was in the city visiting family when he hopped on board one of the City Sightseeing tour buses. Source: Belfast Live.
On one occasion, the police stopped us entering the OLST depot due to a suspect package in McDonald’s, so I parked up on a major roundabout and went for a wander for two hours! On another occasion, returning to our hotel towards the Thames, just off Trafalgar Square, which had been closed-off, we were stopped by the police and told we would have to make a very lengthy diversion, when the hotel was within sight. After some pleading, we were allowed through, provided we were happy to be searched. Unfortunately, the young WPC patted Carole down and a PC myself – disappointing – even at 10 years old my daughter jokingly commented that the wrong coppers frisked us! The New Year’s Eve ribaldry and celebrations were always exciting, especially so when the midnight New Year’s fireworks could be watched from the hotel bedroom! New Year’s Day required leaving the hotel at 6:00 a.m. to travel across London to Jews Row by 7:00 a.m.. Breakfast was always at McDonald’s adjacent to the depot. Sometimes groups were collected from their hotels, but always the parade gathered along the South Bank, adjacent to Westminster Bridge for the 10:00 a.m. start. As the parade progressed along its route, there would be frequent stops when the cheerleaders, jugglers, dancers, bands, etc. would perform their set pieces. As Carole pointed out, it would cost her an absolute fortune to give Amelia, my granddaughter, similar experiences to those she had as an eight to eleven year old! Certainly New Year Eves and Days never to be forgotten!
Happy touring – City Sightseeing style! Richard 36
At the Roma Marathon As we let you know in the latest Conference, we are developing a campaign throughout the World of running and marathons. For now, participants in the Roma Marathon could already celebrate this spirit!
/ Customers
Special tour with Bodleian Libraries In March, a number of special UK travel trade guests of the world famous Bodleian Libraries discovered the city of Oxford from the City Sightseeing bus during a fam trip to the attraction.
Brides on board! Marriage proposals, wedding photo sessions, special tours... Love is in the air on the top deck of our buses! Now in Cadiz.
Miss Russia contestants on City Sightseeing Moscow tour On 31st March, contestants of the Miss Russia National Beauty Contest hopped on one of our buses and took a tour around Moscow to see all the wonderful sights!
Part of city of Bath’s landscape In February, the famous Spanish Instagrammer @ belenthostalet shared a picture of her trip to Bath. Guess what iconic brand was in the centre of the image.
English Tourism Week aboard City Sightseeing Norwich bus The sun was shining on Norwich as many of the city’s tourism colleagues came together to celebrate English Tourism Week – 25th March to 2nd April – aboard the city’s Open Top Tour Bus. This special Trade Day was put on by City Sightseeing Norwich bus operators David & Beryl McMaster who wanted to officially celebrate the city’s tourism offer and the start of their 2017 season.
Valentine’s Day promotion in City Sightseeing Dublin See above happy customers in Dublin on Valentine’s Day when they could enjoy a special offer of 2 for 1 tasty meal deal at the local restaurant The Boxty House presenting the City Sightseeing ticket. Anothe reason to LOVE our tour!
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The wall! / Social stories
Twitter, Facebook or TripAdvisor anyone? We have collected some social media feeds from our industry.
Gary G— Panama City. As usual the city sightseeing open top bus tours do exactly what it says on the tin. This tour took us to all the best sights around Panama and even went to the miraflores Panama Canal visitor centre, which we were considering doing as a separate tour - glad we didn’t as this bus allowed us to see everything there...
Prashat K Haldar. I think this type of service is really helpful for tourists who so ever want to roam city in a day or 2.
@neenoonee. It’s a sunny day in #Dublin and we’re off on a @cityssworldwide tour to kick off our weekend!…
Tommy McMillan. Loved Your Trip In Paphos.
Tera85 – San Antonio. I have been on many of these on off bus tours around the world and this was BY FAR the BEST and most FUN we have ever had!! Every driver/guide was FULL of beneficial information and extremely fun and kind. But if you can get on the bus with W.C. you will have THE BEST time!!! W.C. Was beyond entertaining!! Absolutely hilarious!! Full of great information!! Amazing personality and all around great guy!! Literally could not say enough about him!! We actually stayed on the bus MUCH longer than we anticipated just because we were having so much fun!! Sounds kind of crazy huh?!?! Too much fun on a tour?!? YES!! HIGHLY recommend getting on his bus!! Alessia Copp. We had a great time on the Cardiff sightseeing bus today. It was my son’s birthday and the lovely lady bus driver of the 2 pm bus treated him with sitting in the driver’s chair and even letting him sound the horn! My son loves buses and he was over the moon and made his day even more special. Thank you so much for the great service. @Sandaig Primary. The children loved finding out about William Miller from Alistair from @CitySSWorldwide @glasgowtour, an expert on all things Glaswegian!
@deanstravelltd. thank you for great service, yes we did enjoy @pkkamanga your guides were the best Willy and Driver today on CPT classic. David– Stratford-upon-Avon. Driver cheerfully lowered ramp so I could access bus in my wheelchair - polite and courteous. Brilliantly informative. Alighted at ‘Mary Arden’s Cottage’ and again at ‘Mary Arden’s Farm’ without untoward difficulty. Thought commentary en route was superb.
@cristalhills. every time we are in a new city we do a city sightseeing tour!! Bal Kaur. Enjoyed my time with city sight seeing Budapest; polite, very helpful staff. Pleasant journey and easy accessible. Value for money as boat journey included and ticket valid for 48hrs and various other options available. A big thank you to the staff; Atilla Snoj the driver and Judith Makra, whom was amazing . Judith Makra was very friendly, helpful and explained each different sights very well. Wifi! Great service
Fran Marín Zacarias. I used this service in Cordoba, Seville and Amsterdam. I loved the tour on the small bus in Cordoba. Highly recommended.
Slendy T- Dublin. Its a great tour (actually there are two routes) trough Dublin with almost all important places. You can sit on two decks, inside and outside.
Susan Ramm. Fantastic, knowledgeable tour guides - Max at Prague Castle and Neil on the Jewish Quarter walking tour. Both knew so much about their subject matter, which they also seem to have a genuine love and interest in. Learnt so much from both of them. Highly recommend these tours. Leroy Spammer. I did the complimentary walking tour that leaves from the Parthenon stop. This was the highlight of my Athens visit. Not to be missed!
Loretta S. — Joburg. Hop-on-hop-off busses have always been our favorite way to tour a city. The Johannesburg City Sightseeing tour was excellent, with the busses being in top notch condition and the staff being friendly and courteous. The narrative was informative and entertaining. There was a good choice of stops. We went around twice and got off at the Apartheid Museum (which we also highly recommend). We were very lucky with the weather and had a sunny, dry, warm day ... perfect for the second storey of the bus.
Elizabeth. Gozo. This is an excellent way to see much of Gozo in a day. The bus is prompt and comfortable. Good views from the top deck. Social media really is the new phenomenon so on this page we hope to feature the best feeds from our Franchisees, some of our customer comments and also from leading industry ‘tweeters’. Send your social media name to topdeck@city-sightseeing.com and we’ll follow you. You can start with following us@citySSworldwide 38