Top Deck #28

Stage II/Issue 28

Locally written, globally distributed

The entire world celebrates

The Way Back to Normal

C, Spain G s a lm a P s a L in u o e See y / Annual Conferenc go & Berlin ie D n a S l a v ri A i, a b u D / Trade Shows ATM In this issue. LondonLas Palmas de Gran CanariaBerlinDubaiMiamiGlasgowCartagenaMálagaSingaporeNaplesAthensToledoYorkOxfordFlorenceJoburg

Hybrid, Electric, CNG and LPG Available OVER 400 OPEN TOP DOUBLE DECKER BUSES OPERATING WORLDWIDE ALUMINIUM FRAME NOW AVAILABLE LOW COST ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE ROOF OPTIONS ON THE UPPER DECK INCLUDE FULLY OPEN, FOLD OPEN, FIXED SIDE, FRONT CANOPY, ETC. UPSTAIRS SIDE WINDOWS OPTIONS: SLIDING, REMOVABLE, DOUBLE OR WITH ELECTRIC OPENING SYSTEM UP AND DOWN. VEHICLES FROM 10,5 TO 15 METERS LONG AVAILABLE.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

TopDeck Magazine | nº18 | Enero 2018

Message from Enrique Ybarra President & CEO City Sightseeing Worldwide

Seville, Spain. The home of the first ever City Sightseeing operation which started on the 31st of March 1999

Dear Friends, As we move into the high season, we are all seeing that the recovery is becoming a reality. New challenges face us on the international stage, but the travel industry once again demonstrates why it is one of the most important economic drivers.

As you can read in this new edition of Top Deck, we are once again present in the biggest industry forums, while strengthening the projection of our brand and our more than 100 operations in the digital world. This, together with the large number of City Sightseeing destinations operating at this time of year, brings us back to pre-COVID-19 normality.

Proof that we are returning to the way things were is that we are reconvening the City Sightseeing Annual Conference. From the 19th to the 22nd of November, the City Sightseeing family has the opportunity to meet again in the wonderful city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where splendid weather awaits us, a city full of magical places and many activities to share fantastic moments together again.

I sincerely hope to see you at this long awaited event and that we will catch up again in person.

Yours sincerely,

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Stage II/Issue 28

Locally written, globally distributed

The entire world celebrates

The Way Back to Normal

s GC, Spain See you in Las Palma / Annual Conference & Berlin Dubai, Arival San Diego / Trade Shows ATM In this issue. LondonLas Palmas de Gran CanariaBerlinDubaiMiamiGlasgowCartagenaMálagaSingaporeNaplesAthensToledoYorkOxfordFlorenceJoburg

/ Staff Editor Antonio M. Ortega. press@city-sightseeing.com Contributing writers Rosana Pajaron, Rocío Aparcero, Carmen Rodríguez, Tim Tooher, Chelsey Smith, Estefanía González, Jerónimo Cárdenas, Úrsula Moreno, Pilar Malet, María Molina, Carlos Monsalve.

Production Antonio M. Ortega.

Publisher City Sightseeing Worldwide

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to host the CS Annual Conference 06/07

14/15

26/27

New challenges on the way to recovery

Special Feature: New partnership with Hard Rock Cafe

Purchasing Dept.

Update

08/09 Special Feature: WTTC Global Summit

10/11 We welcome your thoughts about TOP DECK and any ideas you might have. Please send any suitable items for inclusion to: topdeck@city-sightseeing.com Views expressed in the pages of TOP DECK are not necessarily those of City Sightseeing Worldwide, their Franchisees, Associates and Partners or the Editors.

16/19 Special Feature: Trade Shows Q1 & Q2 2022

Interview – Julia Simpson, President and CEO WTTC

20/21

12/13

#CitySightseeing is a trending topic

The World of City Sightseeing

22/23

2022 CS Annual Conference announcement

24/25 Special Feature: New IT Developments

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28/29 Gallery / Corporate News

30/31 Gallery / Tour News

32/33 Gallery / Staff stories

34/35 SuperPost / The Best of Social Media

36 The Wall

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New challenges on the way to recovery The travel industry is recovering after two years of lockdowns, restrictions and a slump in international mobility. Travellers are returning to our cities. However, we will still have to overcome new hurdles to prove that there is no sector as resilient as tourism. And we will.

T

he travel industry was most affected by the measures taken by governments around the world to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19. Activity has since gradually recovered to relative normality in many destinations. The summer of 2022 sees the highest level of occupancy in the global City Sightseeing network in the last two years to cater for the growing influx of travellers, who are beginning to leave travel difficulties behind and are turning to leisure.

Once again, the tourism sector is proving its resilience even in the most adverse circumstances. This time, new challenges accompany the recovery to make it even more epic.

Lifting of COVID-19 restrictions The return to activity is uneven across markets. Without a common policy to deal with the pandemic, the timing and manner in which these measures are being withdrawn continues to have an impact on travellers’ plans.

WTTC “GOOD VIBES” The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its knowledge partner ForwardKeys, forecast a major increase in global international flight bookings as international travel takes off.

News of the strong recovery highlights a promising prospect ahead for summer holiday travel, with sun and sea destinations, such as the Caribbean and Latin America, leading the international inbound bookings.

In Europe, destinations such as Iceland, Greece, Portugal, Spain and France are showing a strong resurgence with travel bookings just slightly behind pre-pandemic levels.

Africa and the Middle East also feature in the top 20 list.

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Ukraine invasion The Russian attack on Ukraine has caused uncertainty in international geopolitics, especially in neighbouring countries, and the sanctions applied to Russia may have an influence on the global economy.

Fuel prices Although the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has had an impact on the increase in energy prices, fuels were already becoming more expensive beforehand. Historically, rising oil prices have put the tourism industry in difficulty.

Global logistics bottleneck One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic downturn was uncoordinated logistics. This affected not only the distribution chain, but also production.

Coming from a total standstill of activity, all the new stumbling blocks are just additional challenges for an industry that has proven to be more resilient than any other. As we have seen in the past, tourism is not only coming back, it is coming back faster.

TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

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WTTC Global Summit marks bounce forward More than a thousand delegates, including the world’s foremost business leaders, government ministers and key decision-makers from across the global Travel & Tourism sector gathered together in Manila, Philippines to discuss how to build upon the continuing recovery.

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rom 20 to 22 April, the 21st World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit took place in Manila, Philippines. Under the theme of ‘Rediscovering Travel’, tourism ministers and Travel & Tourism leaders from around the world reinforced their determination towards greater cooperation and alignment between the public and private sectors. Additionally, WTTC’s Global Leaders explored how the sector will continue to adapt to COVID-19 and emerge resiliently from the pandemic.

There were some great moments during the meeting, with some highlights:

WTTC’s Economic Impact Report WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report was released in Manila. The report reveals the Travel & Tourism sector is expected to create nearly 126 million new jobs within the next decade and Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP could reach pre-pandemic levels by 2023.

“Hotel Sustainability Basics” WTTC’s major ‘Hotel Sustainability Basics’ sustainability initiative was launched at its Global Summit, providing a starting point to drive sustainability throughout the hospitality sector to power the momentum toward responsible Travel & Tourism.

“Codes to resilience” The global body also launched its new cyber resilience report, ‘Codes to resilience’, with Microsoft, for the global Travel & Tourism sector, which outlined pillars to strengthen cyber security for businesses around the world.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “This Summit is living proof that nothing beats getting together, sharing ideas, debating the challenges, and finding consensus. We still have a lot of work to do to bring down post-pandemic barriers, open economies and harmonise health data for seamless travel. But the future looks bright, and the next decade is there for the taking.”

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1-2 Global Leathers Dialogue family picture and session. 3 ExCom Reception & Meeting at the Manila City Hall.

TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

CS London great success

Once again, following the Cancun, Mexico summit in 2021, the most influential Travel & Tourism event on the calendar was held in person with industry leaders gathering with key government representatives to continue aligning efforts to support the sector’s recovery and move beyond to a safer, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.

However, for those who couldn’t attend the three-day event in Manila, the sessions were available to watch on the WTTC’s virtual platform until May 20th. After the pandemic, the best of both worlds (face-to-face and virtual) are being brought together for a better experience.

22nd WTTC Global Summit At the closing session, the World Travel & Tourism Council announced that its 22nd event will take place in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 29th November to 2nd December this year.

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Julia Simpson WTTC President & CEO The new WTTC leader took office at one of the most difficult times for the tourism industry, but brings a message of hope: “Through the determination and dedication of this sector, tourism will once again thrive and be a key driver of social economic growth and improve the lives of millions of people around the world.”

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You became the President & CEO of WTTC at such a difficult time for the travel industry. What are your predictions for the sector’s recovery after the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent threats?

The outlook for Travel & Tourism is looking very positive. Our research shows both jobs and the value of our sector are set to reach prepandemic levels by next year.

Travel & Tourism’s contribution to the economy is expected to grow to almost US$ 8.4 trillion by the end of 2022, slightly behind 2019 levels.

The whole ethos of Travel & Tourism is about bringing peace and understanding. The invasion of Ukraine shocked the world, and our hearts go out to all those who are suffering.

Our sector has come together in providing help to those affected by this crisis, by opening hotels to refugees and shipping supplies.

We know the war in Ukraine will have short and long-term effects in our sector. We saw some cancellations when the war first started, and it will have an impact on destinations closely linked to Russia and Ukraine.

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What do you expect from your time at the helm of WTTC?

COVID has taught us the importance of public and private collaboration. For us to recover from the pandemic, it is essential for Travel & Tourism leaders to join forces with local and national governments.

We have consistently called for harmonised, and simple rules so consumers can cross borders in an easy and hassle-free way.

At the beginning, countries adopted different policies, favouring isolationism over collaboration and it resulted in total chaos. Chaos for the traveller and for economies around the world.

We need to change the way we do things. If we ever face another pandemic, we must do a better job. People should be allowed to travel using a one-stop digital platform before they start their journey.

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Do you think the travel industry will change dramatically or will it recover and continue to operate in a similar way as before, even with similar annual growth?

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We believe the sector will be one of the driving forces of the global recovery, creating nearly 126 million jobs within the next decade. In fact, one in three of every new jobs created will be in our sector.

The recovery in 2021 was slower than expected due in part to the impact of the Omicron variant and the uncoordinated approach by governments but we and the WHO maintained throughout that closing borders would not stop the spread of the virus but would only serve to damage economies and livelihoods, which it did.

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What are the trends you expect in urban tourism, where we mostly operate?

The wanderlust is very much alive.

Travellers are remembering all the things they love about exploring the world, but now they are more conscious on how their decisions impact the destinations they visit.

The pandemic has caused a shift in consumer habits and trends in the short and long-term, and some of them are here to stay.

We need to stay atop of the latest needs and demands.

TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

Julia Simpson – WTTC 11

See you in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria!

From 19th to 22nd November, the City Sightseeing international network will gather for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic – and the place chosen for the reunion will be the sunny, marvellous, stunning island of Gran Canaria.

A

fter the hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are bringing back our Annual Convention in 2022.

This means that the international City Sightseeing network will

once again gather in one of our world-famous destinations to update brand information, share experiences, get to know our industry partners better and ultimately strengthen our network.

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The event will take place from 19th to 22nd November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, a sun and beach destination with a lot to offer its visitors. At this time of the year we will enjoy an excellent temperature and many activities, in addition to the usual professional conferences with top-level speakers, benchmarking panels and testimonials of great interest to all attendees.

TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the most cosmopolitan city of the Canaries, a cultural and financial bridge between Europe, Africa and America, and one of the cities with the best weather in the world thanks to its exceptional location, next to the Tropic of Cancer, and to the trade winds that come from the North Atlantic.

With one of the best city beaches in the world – Las Canteras – and one of the most iconic Carnivals, there is much to discover in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Register at: annualconference. city-sightseeing.com/

Hotel Barceló Santa Catalina For over a century, the Santa Catalina Hotel 5*GL has been a privileged witness to the history of the island of Gran Canaria. Since its opening in 1890, it has been a landmark of the city’s social life. Some of the most important people of the 20th and 21st centuries have passed through its doors, leaving behind traces of their culture and talent.

Glamour, authenticity and exquisiteness are part of the essence of the hotel, which has attracted great national and international personalities since its beginnings to stay in its elegant 204 rooms with views of the city or garden.

Our conference venue is ready to surprise you in this exciting destination.

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TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

Sights, attractions and rock and roll!

A new global agreement joins the City Sightseeing family to broaden brand exposure and increase the flow of travellers into our network’s operations. We are happy to announce a strategic agreement with Hard Rock Cafe, one of the world’s most recognisable brands.

H

ard Rock Cafe, the world’s most recognized restaurant, hotel and casino chain, and City Sightseeing, the world’s leading open-top bus, boat, and walking tour company, have joined forces to mutually benefit each other’s customers with mutual discounts. The agreement is valid for more than 120 cities in over 40 countries where both brands operate.

From now on, all City Sightseeing passengers will be able to enjoy great food, music and incredible rock memorabilia while enjoying

a 10% discount on their food and soft drinks at a selection of the best casual dining restaurants in the world. All they have to do is present their City Sightseeing ticket at any of the Hard Rock Cafes participating in the promotion.

Hard Rock Cafe customers can also get a 10% discount on all products available on the citysightseeing.com website that include hop-on hop-off buses, just by using the code HARDROCK10 they can find in the Member Area of the website. Customers will

be able to use the voucher as frequently as they want while the promotion lasts.

Through this agreement, both companies will be able to encourage traveller flow between our services and provide our customers with a more complete experience in the cities where we both operate. The initiative also serves to bring together one of the world’s most recognisable brands, Hard Rock Cafe, and the tourism brand with the most exposure in the world’s major cities, City Sightseeing Worldwide.

“It is an honour to start a global partnership between City Sightseeing Worldwide and Hard Rock Cafe. We are excited to welcome City Sightseeing clients and to offer them a great experience at our Hard Rock Cafe locations.”

“We are delighted to join our brand with another globally recognised brand like Hard Rock Cafe. I am convinced that together we will be able to provide millions of travellers and consumers around the world with the best experiences they can enjoy in the cities where we operate.”

Elena Alvarez Vice President Global Sales & MKT Hard Rock International

Rocío Aparcero Head of Marketing City Sightseeing Worldwide

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TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

Trade show season is all year round!

Once again, City Sightseeing Worldwide has been present at the main professional events of the travel industry. The global brand has shone in Dubai, UAE, in San Diego and Miami, USA, in Madrid, Spain, as it will do in many more cities to come!

C

ity Sightseeing is present every year at the most important trade shows in the tourism industry. In these meetings we find the perfect scenario to promote the global brand and the more than 100 operations involved worldwide, to meet with our partners in the industry and to study new business opportunities. The media, the institutions, the public... It’s the place to be.

After the COVID-19 outbreak, the trade events stopped and, although some have continued to postpone face-to-face editions, such as ITB Berlin 2022, many are back in business in much the same

way as before. So this year we are back once again at FITUR Madrid, Arival, ATM Dubai and so many others.

Arival Berlin Arival | Activate provides two and a half days of opportunities for the global tours, activities, attractions and experiences community. City Sightseeing features as a sponsor in the edition held in Berlin from 29 to 31 May. It’s the ideal spot to find new business partners, distributors, tech and marketing providers and other services to help our business grow. In Berlin, owners and business leaders across the sector learn from each other.

At ATM Dubai From our first steps to expand the City Sightseeing brand in the Middle East, ATM has been a great showcase for our portfolio of destinations and services. In the most recent edition, we have revisited our friends and partners in the industry with a focus on the region as well as Asia and Africa.

At Seatrade Miami City Sightseeing featured at the leading annual B2B event for the global cruise industry. At a time when activity is picking up in ports all over the world, the brand is once again meeting with cruise lines, port cities and, in short, the entire sector. Seatrade Cruise

1 Navid Sapir, Gwen Slaughter (CS Los Angeles), Chelsey Smith (CS Worldwide), Kami Farhadi (CS Los Angeles), Charlotte Mander (CS Worldwide), Sarai Campuzano (CS San Antonio), Ulrik Hernández, and Emily Valentino (CS New Orleans). 2 City Sightseeing booth at Seatrade Cruise Miami. 3 Manu Ríos (CS Dubai), Jerónimo Cárdenas (CS Worlwide), Mouhamad Hoteit, and Saleh Mohammad at ATM Dubai. 4 “Scan & Win” draw advertising at FITUR Madrid. 5 Interview with Enrique Ybarra in Arival San Diego.

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1 High-profile meeting with President Emmanuel Macron. 2 Social Media post on the interview with Enrique Ybarra a ITB Asia. 3 Gloria Guevara at the 5th Anniversary of the Future Investment Initiative (FII).

Global brings together buyers and suppliers from 140 countries and over 300 international journalists for four days of conferences and three days of exhibition with over 700 companies from its global network of destinations

presence in the urban centres of more than 100 destinations in six continents. After some cancellations and postponements due to the pandemic, Arival was held again in a mixed face-to-face and streaming version.

At Arival San Diego City Sightseeing was one of the companies invited to share its experience at the most recent edition of Arival San Diego, which was held from 1 to 4 February.

Through an interview with our CEO Enrique Ybarra, we were able to explain the origins and development of one of the most recognised brands in the tourism industry and its remarkable

At FITUR Madrid From 19 to 23 January, City Sightseeing once again exhibited with its own stand at one of the world’s most important trade shows, FITUR Madrid.

Restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 interrupted a streak of more than 20 consecutive attendances at the fair, but this year the global brand once again stood out with a

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spectacular stand with a renewed design.

In Madrid, we were able to meet again with OTAs, partners and institutions with whom we work closely. And above all, we continued to promote our common brand and the more than 100 operations that form part of our network around the world.

The promotion of our operators is ongoing and our calendar continues in June with IPW USA and throughout the year with major world-class events such as World Travel Market (WTM) London - see you at the next show!

TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

CS London great success

FITUR Madrid, Seatrade Cruise Global, Arival San Diego & Arival Berlin, and ATM Dubai are the most relevant trade shows attended in the first half of 2022 19

Just one planet to Discover, Explore, Enjoy.

Travel responsibly.

Affiliate (*)

CANADA Toronto

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Los Angeles & Hollywood Miami * New Orleans New York Philadelphia San Antonio Seattle Washington DC *

ICELAND Reykjavik

COLOMBIA Cartagena

PERU Lima

The World of City Sightseeing

PORTUGAL Albufeira Funchal Lisbon Porto Sintra

SPAIN Antequera Arrecife Barcelona * Benalmadena Cadiz Cordoba Jerez Las Palmas Gran Canaria Lleida * Malaga Nerja Palma De Mallorca Santander Seville Toledo

UNITE Bath Belfast Bourne Brighto Cambr Cardiff Cheste Derry/L Dublin Edinbu

ED KINGDOM & IRELAND Galway t Glasgow emouth Inverness on Llandudno & Conwy ridge London Norwich er Oxford Londonderry Stratford-upon-Avon York urgh

BELGIUM Brussels CZECH REPUBLIC Prague RUSSIA Kazan Moscow St. Petersburg

DENMARK Copenhagen

Aarhus

ESTONIA Tallinn FINLAND Helsinki FRANCE Paris GERMANY Berlin Kiel

LEBANON Beirut

VIETNAM Hanoi Saigon

HUNGARY Budapest Nyíregyháza

Visegrad

Malta

NETHERLANDS Amsterdam Rotterdam

SAUDI ARABIA Al Madinah

ITALY Florence Genoa Livorno Messina Milan Naples Padova Palermo Rome Sorrento Turin Verona

GREECE Athens & Piraeus Corfu Thessaloniki

MALTA Gozo

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Dubai Sharjah

Potsdam

SINGAPORE Singapore

SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town Johannesburg & Soweto

AUSTRALIA Melbourne

NORWAY Alesund Bergen Geiranger

Oslo Stavanger

POLAND Krakow Gdansk

Warsaw

SWEDEN Gothenburg Visby

Stockholm

Latest of the City Sightseeing Influencer Program

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TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

#CitySightseeing is a trending topic Every day, thousands of travellers share their experience on our open-top buses, boats and guided walking tours on social media. This spontaneous manifestation of fun and joy is reinforced with corporate initiatives and new projects to broaden the brand’s exposure in the digital world.

O

n 22nd May, the finalists for Miss London 22 – the regional qualifier for Miss England – were all invited to create a vlog about the city they aim to represent as part of the competition ahead of this year’s final contest. Eleven of the finalists met in person for the first time for the City Sightseeing London bus tour to start the girls off with their vlogs. See here a clear example of interesting content to share on social media with great exposure for the City Sightseeing brand.

At City Sightseeing we are frequently invited to collaborate with events of great media and social impact. Other times, it is our own customers who wish to share the moment on board – often they are positive reviews about their experience, which we of course monitor for the best customer service possible.

Also, there are the projects with which City Sightseeing promotes this positive exposure through our social media partners.

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The City Sightseeing Influencer Program is an affiliate programme for social media content creators.

Through agreements with instagrammers around the world, we make it easy for them to get to know our service and we also work with them as a sales channel.

The conversation on social media is constantly flowing and it pays to be well positioned to take advantage of our partnerships with other companies, the reactions of our passengers, and to establish as many partnerships as possible with the social profiles that can help your operation gain exposure.

In all these ways, the City Sightseeing brand manages to be on everyone’s lips!

Summer shines just like the City Sightseeing brand!

Summer in the northern hemisphere is a new opportunity to project the best image of your operation. For this, there is nothing better than renewing or extending your supplies with the official corporate image.

How to order your corporate supplies Remember our improved online ordering method: Please visit: https://purchasing.citysightseeing.com and discover the new interface.

If needed, ask for new login details by emailing purchasing@citysightseeing.com

T

he summer of our lives is just around the corner.

With restrictions falling, we can expect a significant increase in international flights and a busy season. Are you ready to show off your operation to travellers? Check out our suggestions for these warmer months.

Glasses and string. We know how uncomfortable the sun’s rays can be for drivers during key hours this season. That’s why we are launching the Red Summer Pack at a special price to protect your team not only from the sun, but also from the wind and dust. Price: €17.50.

Summer hat. Protect your staff’s most valuable asset on the hottest days and help them prevent facial ageing due to sun exposure. Price: €4.50.

Mobile waterproof. Specially designed for boat staff or cruise ship managers. Keeps your mobile phone close at hand while avoiding getting it wet. Price: €1.25.

Polo shirt. Got a special event coming up? Comfortable, cool and casual. The all-rounder option for your staff to work in comfort while maintaining the corporate line.

Price: €13.50.

Remember you are able to personalise your supplies. Do not hesitate to ask for specific prices and delivery terms by contacting the City Sightseeing Purchasing Department.

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TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

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Corporate News from the Global Brand

Sponsorship of DES2022 City Sightseeing will feature as a sponsor of the Digital Enterprise Show (DES), the world’s leading event on Digital Transformation. The event will be held in Malaga, Spain from 14th to 16th June.

Integrations

At ITB Asia

Seatrade Med

Thanks to the work done over the last 2 years, over 100 agent partners book via our integrated channels meaning even less paper supporting our sustainability focus.

Another 12 are about to migrate in a near future.

For yet another year, City Sightseeing will feature at ITB Asia with Founder & CEO Enrique Ybarra as a keynote speaker.

The 2022 edition will happen between 19th and 21st October both by streaming and in person.

On 14th and 15th September, Seatrade Cruise Med will gather over 3,000 professionals and 150+ exhibitors from more than 70 countries in Malaga – and City Sightseeing will stand out as a sponsor.

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TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

#CitySightseeingCares

Integration Seville

CS Naples & Ukraine Against ALS

In April, Marta returned to her job in Seville to help travellers have the best possible experience on our buses. In the photo, on the right next to driver Laura.

In March, CS Naples hit the streets again and dedicated a special run of the sightseeing bus to the Ukrainian families who had arrived in Naples not long before due to the Russian invasion.

In February, CS Seville collaborated with the association dalecandELA in the Seville Marathon to give visibility to the fight against ALS and to raise funds for research into the disease.

CS Dubai students

We’re pet friendly!

A wish came true

North London Collegiate School Dubai Grade 2 embarked on the CS Dubai bus tour to discover iconic buildings in Dubai as they were ‘making conclusions’ in their inquiry cycle.

More and more CS operations around the world are allowing travellers to bring their pets on board. It’s very difficult to be separated from your pets when you travel!

Little Mia had a great time getting on board our buses as her wish came true thanks to the magic of Fundacion Pequeño Deseo, who works every day to help fulfil the dreams of the little ones.

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CS Operators Outstanding News from Your Operations

Glasgow Sounds Eddi Reader became an official guide to Glasgow’s musical hotspots through the CS Glasgow bus tour.

The music critic Fiona Shepherd joined to delve into the city’s musical history.

CS Athens on TV!

Toledo night tour

CS York fam trip

In January, CS Athens featured live at Alpha TV in order to show a brighter side to COVID-19 times.

In April, City Sightseeing Toledo launched a new night tour to showcase the world’s most beautiful view at night, as recognised earlier this year by the Japan Convention Bureau.

In May, CS York brought together their friends from Visit York and many representing the hotels and attractions of York for a special season launch tour.

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TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

Tourism Week

Betis parade

Florence new tours

Due to the English Tourism Week, CS Oxford increased services to “celebrate everything Oxfordshire has to offer”. From April 1st, frequencies turned to 20 minutes, and 15 minutes on weekend.

In April, CS Sevilla carried the Copa del Rey 2022 champions Real Betis on the celebration parade from the stadium to the City Council, the Cathedral and back. A great moment to share with the fans!

A new sustainable tourism project has been born from the collaboration between the City of Florence and CS Florence with new routes taking visitors to places less travelled by traditional tourist flows.

New CS Rincón V.

Funday in Joburg!

IC last school day

In April, the Mayor of Rincón de la Victoria inaugurated the new sightseeing train operation in the city.

This tour connects all the attractions of the popular Costa del Sol destination.

Sunday Sizzler Special is back in Johannesburg, where Sunday is Funday! See all Joburg’s tourist attractions and its most picturesque spots thanks to a special offer, valid on Sunday only.

In May, CS Beirut provided International College (IC) 2022 class with an unforgettable ride around Beirut on their last school day.

It was very exciting to share wonderful sights with them!

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CS Family Staff Stories

CS Edinburgh Ambassador Cobbles the Scottie Dog has been appointed the CS Edinburgh new official ambassador.

Named by colleagues after Edinburgh’s setted streets, Cobbles is rolling over for customers seven days a week.

Ada, Birmingham

Alberto, Malaga

Albert & Jesus

The City Sightseeing Family keeps growing and now we can welcome a new baby to the CS team – Ada, the first daughter of our colleague from the Sales Department Antonia Jones.

Driving a CS bus certainly has its rewards, but nothing compares to taking the champions on a parade. Alberto was able to share in the joy of UMA Antequera, champions of the Copa del Rey futsal cup.

CS San Antonio team members Albert and Jesus worked at the Vacation In Your Own Backyard event at the Southwest Research Institute. Good job, buddies!

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TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

Viviane, Beirut

CS Glasgow hiring

Team of the Year

Our operator in Lebanon, Viviane Nasr, represented the company on a special tour with H.E. Minister of Tourism of Lebanon, Walid Nassar and Dr Stefano Diminioni from the Council of Europe, among others.

CS Glasgow ripped up its recruitment checklist and opted for something more local in its search to find Glasgow’s most professional and friendly bus drivers – “Pure, dead brilliant bus drivers with big cheery smiles.”

In February, CS York was named Team of the Year in Transdev’s annual Amazing Awards, which was attended by 100 nominees and partners after last year’s event was cancelled due to Covid restrictions.

Sissy, Budapest

Craig, Glasgow

Phil, Galway

CS Bupapest staff is always ready to provide customers with some help needed. Ask Sissy!

FYI there is a right way to show up for your first day at work and CS Glasgow new driver Craig nailed it!

Phil is ready and waiting to share a Magical Galway City with customers every day.

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SuperPosts Best of Social Media From Facebook to Twitter to Instagram, there are constantly great posts published throughout the City Sightseeing network to promote the global brand, give information, and inspire people to hop on and discover a city with City Sightseeing.

Here are a few posts that we have selected that have done just that.

Discover, explore, enjoy your favourite destination as a family with City Sightseeing!

@citysightseeingbrighton

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TopDeck Magazine | #28 | June 2022

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The Wall

Social stories

Twitter | Facebook | TripAdvisor | TrustPilot | Viator | GetYourGuide James Merryweather - York. A brilliant tour it is, would highly recommend it, I did it at the end of last year. Will definitely do it again very soon.

Sara C – Santander. Una experiencia estupenda junto a mi hijo. Una buena manera de poder conocer la ciudad y su historia. El conductor Juan Miguel muy atento con nosotros.

Mark Tiernan – York. We went on the Tour in York.

Our guide, Tom himself was a great guide and put on a very informative tour in it’s entirety. With an extensive knowledge base and a beautifully cultivated fringe, Tom, in his entirely, really was great. In himself.

Gina_0 - Bath. We had a great time, we saw many places and the Sky Line tourist bus was also very interesting, we would definitely recommend this tourist bus.

Adrienn. Great tour, nice places, interesting guide informations, kind and helpful drivers. We enjoyed it!

Brenda Galbraith - Glasgow. Went on this trip last week whilst in Glasgow. Great trip as we saw loads of places around the city we had never seen before.

Drivers and tour guides were great. Really great way to move around the city hopping on and off at various stops to see the sights. Definitely recommend it.

Pilar Moreno – Málaga. Lindo recorrido en Málaga.

Parada obligatoria en Castillo Gibralfaro. Gracias Álvaro por tus explicaciones y tu amabilidad. Servicio de 5 estrellas.

Tina - York. The bus was informative! It was a great way to get to know where things were and the history with in the city.

P7 Lorne Street - Glasgow. We had a great trip on the Glasgow Bus Tour! Thank u.

Anthony Stuart Littlebotough CC – York. York city sightseeing is fantastic and the live guides are so friendly and knowledgeable. We always travel red when In York.

Katie_H - Oxford. Oxford is such a beautiful city and the audio guide was great. The driver and the office staff were also very friendly and helpful.

Raghav - London. I loved the host Anna, who let us know the whole story of each building in London.

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

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The City Sightseeing's very own magazine

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The digital version of Top Deck is available at our own web site you can visit at topdeckmagazine.com

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Email press@city-sightseeing.com