Stage II/Issue 32
Locally written, globally distributed
Annual Conference
The Global Brand Goes East!
TIS Sevilla , ia s A B IT , n o d n o L / Trade Shows WTM triumph t s e p a d u B e g n e ll a Ch / The CS Marathon In this issue. HanoiLondonSingaporeSevilleBudapestOrlandoHalongEdinburghOsloCorfuDubaiBangkokMalagaHo Chi MinhHueDa LatLos Angeles
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, It is a pleasure to address all of you once again, in this case in the last issue of Top Deck for 2023, to take quick stock of the year and to wish you all the best for the coming year. Without a doubt, this year has brought us great moments. First of all, I would like to remember our Annual Conference in Hanoi last November, the first we organised in Asia in the history of City Sightseeing. We had some great moments together there that I would like to share with you in the pages of this issue. New destinations have also joined our global network: Bangkok, Pattaya, Segovia and Dalat. We are delighted to expand our portfolio with such exciting cities and, above all, with new members with new ideas to share with the whole City Sightseeing family. We have closed new business deals, developed new technology solutions, found new partners that will allow us to continue to lead our industry... we even won a marathon! I would also like to highlight the wonderful social project that we are going to carry out among all the people who make City Sightseeing possible in more than 100 cities around the world. Together we will succeed in changing the lives of a community of more than a thousand people in the upper Amazon. That’s why we have given it the name Changing Lives. I hope you will read all about it in the pages of this issue of Top Deck. And above all, I hope you have a great time with your family and friends and a great start to the new year. Yours sincerely,
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Stage II/Issue 32
Locally written, globally distributed
Annual Conference
The Global Brand Goes East!
Sevilla London, ITB Asia, TIS / Trade Shows WTM triumph Challenge Budapest / The CS Marathon In this issue. HanoiLondonSingaporeSevilleBudapestOrlandoHalongEdinburghOsloCorfuDubaiBangkokMalagaHo Chi MinhHueDa LatLos Angeles
/ Staff Editor Antonio M. Ortega. press@city-sightseeing.com Contributing writers Rocío Aparcero, Paula Saboulard, Sandra Martínez, Bárbara Rincón, Daniel Castañón, María Molina, Chelsey Smith, Pilar Malet, Luis García, Pilar Lobo, Julia Ybarra. Production Antonio M. Ortega. Publisher City Sightseeing Worldwide
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.
Changing Lives 2024 A dream come true 06/07
18/19
26/27
The impact of AI in the travel industry
Special Feature: The CS Marathon Challenge #08
Gallery / Corporate News
08/09
20/21
The Social Impact of Global Tourism
The World of City Sightseeing
Gallery / Tour News
10/15
22/23
Front cover article: CS Annual Conference Hanoi 2023
Corporate message: Changing Lives 2024
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SuperPost / The Best of Social Media
Special Feature: Trade Shows Q4
News from our industry partners
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30/31 Gallery / Staff stories
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The Wall
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AI in Tourism: Transforming Travel Experiences Artificial Intelligence’s impact on tourism is transformative, revolutionizing personalization, customer service, and operational efficiency. Take a look at what ChatGPT has to say about the last revolution not only in the travel industry, but in our lives.
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n recent years, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the landscape of the tourism industry, reshaping how people explore, plan, and experience their journeys. AI’s impact has been profound, offering personalized, seamless, and innovative solutions that cater to travelers’ evolving needs. Enhanced Personalization and Customer Service One of the most significant transformations brought about by AI is the ability to deliver personalized experiences. Through sophisticated algorithms and machine learning, AI analyzes vast amounts of data, enabling travel platforms to understand individual preferences and tailor suggestions accordingly. From suggesting personalized itineraries based on past travel history to recommending activities aligned with specific
interests, AI significantly enhances the customization of travel experiences. Moreover, chatbots and virtual assistants powered by AI have redefined customer service in the tourism sector. These intelligent interfaces provide instantaneous responses, aiding travelers in planning, booking, and addressing queries throughout their journey. They offer round-the-clock support, ensuring a seamless experience and enhancing customer satisfaction. Streamlined Operations and Efficiency AI has also streamlined various operational aspects within the tourism industry. For instance, in the realm of revenue management, AI-driven tools analyze market trends, demand patterns, and competitor pricing in real-time, assisting hotels and airlines in
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optimizing pricing strategies. This leads to maximized revenues while ensuring competitive pricing for consumers. Additionally, AI-driven technologies facilitate predictive maintenance for travel infrastructure, such as airplanes, ensuring proactive identification of issues, minimizing downtime, and enhancing overall safety. The Future of AI in Tourism Looking ahead, the trajectory of AI in the tourism sector is poised for further advancements. As AI continues to evolve, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are likely to play integral roles in transforming travel experiences. These technologies will enable travellers to explore destinations virtually, aiding in decision-making and providing immersive previews of accommodation, attractions, and cultural experiences.
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The Social Impact of Global Tourism Take a look at the conclusions of the newest report from WTTC and the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC), supported by Oxford Economics, on the social footprint of the Travel & Tourism sector globally.
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he Travel & Tourism sector is a significant contributor to the global economy and a major employer around the world, with jobs ranging from hospitality, transportation, cultural occupations as well as various support services. While the sector was impacted significantly by the effects of COVID-19, it remains a major supporter of employment around the world and has been rebounding since the pandemic. The sector also helps address and support several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including providing employment opportunities for women and for young workers. A key theme that emerged from the study is the extent to which
the industry supports jobs for these demographics, and how that varies between regions and income groups. For instance, the study found that the region with the largest Travel & Tourism workforce in absolute terms was Asia-Pacific for both young workers and women, largely due to the size of that region’s overall economy. However, for both these demographics, it is higher-income countries where the sector has the greatest importance in relative terms. In high income countries, 6.4% of all young workers were employed in the Travel & Tourism sector in 2021, a figure that declines with income down to 0.8% in low-income nations. Similarly, the share of all female workers employed in Travel & Tourism in
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TopDeck Magazine | #32 | December 2023
high-income countries was 3.7% in 2021, compared to 1.0% in the lowincome group of countries. The sector is also an especially important provider of higher-wage jobs in lower- and middle-income countries. In more developed countries, other sectors (typically mature and capital-intensive ones) account for more of the higher-wage jobs in the economy, meaning Travel & Tourism comprises a smaller share. Young and female employment This has implications for policymakers to consider: the fact that the Travel & Tourism sector employs proportionally more young people and women in higher income countries suggests that helping to support entry into the sector’s workforce may be an effective route for boosting overall employment in these demographics in lower income countries.
increased female and youth employment in tourism. For women, countries and businesses should adopt family-friendly policies and conditions, provide opportunities for upskilling, increase the representation of women in decision-making positions, eliminate discriminatory wage gaps and improve the inclusion of women from disadvantaged minority groups including migrant women. With regards to youth employment in Travel & Tourism, effective policies include those that have a direct influence on high-quality training and that increase positive perceptions of Travel & Tourism jobs.
Moreover, in many developing countries, Travel & Tourism jobs can represent relatively higher-quality and higher-wage opportunities, often in the formal economy. This underlines that helping women and young people into Travel & Tourism jobs could contribute to alleviating their poverty and economic exclusion.
The Social Impact of Global Tourism research has shown that Travel & Tourism provides a wide range of opportunities for the economic inclusion of vulnerable groups such as women and youth, as well as for well-paid formal sector employment. Governments, multilateral organisations and the private sector are encouraged to develop appropriate incentives and policy frameworks in light of the dynamics that occur at country and regional levels in order to leverage the enormous potential of the sector to strengthen the social fabric of our nations and communities.
In general, a decent work approach is recommended to encourage
Full research available at bit.ly/Social_Impact_WTTC
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Cam on Vietnam!* From 25th to 28th November, the City Sighseeing network gathered once again to catch up and share experiences between the different global brand operators, our partners, and renowned travel industry professionals, and share great moments!
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anoi was a great discovery for the attendees of the City Sightseeing Annual Conference, which was held in Asia for the first time. Our hosts from City Sightseeing Vietnam went out of their way to put together with the City Sightseeing Worldwide
team one of the best corporate events to date. As a result, this year’s conference was a resounding success and will be etched in our memories forever. During the two days of social activities, we all had the chance to
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get to know the capital of Vietnam. Whether on the CS Hanoi bus tour, guided walking tour, Vespa and Jeep tours, delegates from CS operations around the world were able to experience the beauty, authenticity and, why not say it, the chaotic traffic that surprises firsttime visitors to this destination. In addition, Sunday’s excursion to Halong Bay provided an opportunity to see a UNESCOrecognised natural wonder and some fun activities.
TopDeck Magazine | #32 | December 2023
In addition, on Saturday we enjoyed incredible views of Hanoi from the terrace of the Paridot Hotel at our traditional Welcome Dinner. It was a fun-filled weekend where we were able to catch up from our previous meeting. During the business days, we once again had the opportunity to learn about all the work developed over the last year to promote the brand, our network of partners in the industry, and technological developments. We were also able to discuss hot topics such as customer service or the new possibilities offered by Artificial Intelligence. We had inspiring
speakers like Sarah Wang from WTTC, Ignacio Martín from Melia Hotels International, and Marius Nigond from iWander, and advice from partners who provide us with products and services for our daily operations. Special thanks to Palisis, Prioticket, Hold-On, Spinach Tours, and UNVI for their support. In short, it was the key moment of the year for all of us in the City Sightseeing family, which also allowed us to enjoy a wonderful destination.
*Thank you Vietnam! 11
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1 Aoife and Gavin from Toronto on the top deck of the CS Hanoi bus. 2 Conference attendees at the Toad flower garden. 3 Jeep Tour. 4 Vespa Tour. 5 Welcome Dinner at the Peridot Hotel rooftop terrace. 6 Conference attendees and CS Halong open-top double-decker bus. 7 Noonoosh Sapir, Kian Farhadi, and Kami Farhadi from Los Angeles. 8 View of Halong Bay. 9 Enrique Ybarra meets Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh, Vice Director of
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Hanoi Tourism Department. 10 Official opening of the business sessions at Melia Hanoi Hotel. 11 Chelsey Smith interviews Ric Corbett from BeMyGuest. 12 Claus Tworeck and Wendy Volkel in traditional Vietnamese hats. 13 Attendees participate in a workshop discussion. 14 Josef Birchler, from Palisis. 7 Marie Johansson from CS Scandinavia, Simon Korper and Silvia Casamiquela. 8 Gala Dinner at Soft Water restaurant.
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Best New Operator – City Sightseeing Bangkok
Best Quality Service – City Sightseeing Oslo
Gonzalo Ruiz collected the award on behalf of CS Bangkok, who were unable to attend the Gala Dinner. The award was presented by Josef Birchler of Palisis. The prize was a trip for two to the CS headquarters in Seville.
Marie Johansson, representing CS Scandinavia, received the award from Mari Valero. Prize: €1,000 credit to use in the City Sightseeing Purchasing Department.
Best CSR – City Sightseeing Seville
Best Cruise Operator – City Sightseeing Corfu
Daniel Vidal, Operations Manager of CS Seville, received the award from Julia Ybarra. Prize: €1,000 credit in the Marketing and Design Department.
As no representative of CS Corfu was able to attend the convention on this occasion, Pilar Lobo received it on their behalf from Silvia Casamiquela from Prioticket.
Awards Ceremony 14
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Best Social Media – City Sightseeing Dubai
Best Brand Image – City Sightseeing London
Manu Ríos collected the award on behalf of CS Dubai from Rocío Aparcero. Prize: €1,000 credit in the Marketing and Design Department.
Mattew Callow from CS London collected the award presented by Pilar Malet. Prize: €1,000 credit to use in the Purchasing Department.
CS Brand Ambassador – Mr. Nguyen Tat Hieu (CS Vietnam)
Best Operator – City Sightseeing Edinburgh
Nguyen Tat Hieu received the award from Enrique Ybarra. Prize: Free accommodation + conference fee for the 2024 Annual Conference for two people.
Elaine Green of CS Edinburgh took the award from Enrique Ybarra. Prize: Flight + accommodation for two people when visiting the City Sightseeing Worldwide office in Seville.
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Last (but not least) shows of the year! In the fourth quarter of 2023, the City Sightseeing brand has been present at some of the industry’s most important professional events: WTM London, ITB Asia, Arival Orlando, and TIS Seville. They all were new opportunities to promote the more than 100 destinations in our global network and to strengthen our links with our partners in Europe, Asia, and America.
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he year 2023 has been the busiest year in City Sightseeing’s history of attending trade shows. After the forced hiatus due to COVID-19, this year we have managed to increase our exposure at the largest travel industry gatherings over and above what we achieved in 2019. These are the latest events in which we have actively participated with our own stand, as sponsors, and as attendees. WTM London World Travel Market (WTM) London took place from 6th to 9th November. Those of the City Sightseeing operators attending the British show had the opportunity to meet the City Sightseeing Worldwide team at stand N9-300 in the ExCeL London exhibition centre, from where we showcased the global
brand and our international network with more than 100 destinations. ITB Asia Once again, we had the opportunity to catch up with our partners in the travel industry by attending a new edition of ITB Asia, which took place in Singapore from 25th to 27th October. The Asian show was an attendance success with 42% growth compared to 2022, with over 1,838 exhibitors, and more than 1,300 top-tier industry buyers. TIS Sevilla From 18 to 20 October, TIS Tourism Innovation Summit 2023, the leading event on tourism innovation, gathered 7,384 industry professionals in Seville, Spain, to discuss the latest trends defining smarter, more
sustainable, and digital tourism. Seville, elected European Capital of Smart Tourism 2023, became the epicentre of world tourism with the presence of 43 international delegations. Additionally, the international meeting brought together 198 exhibiting firms such as Accenture, Amadeus, Eurecat, Mabrian, Telefónica, and many more including CitySightseeing Worldwide as a global partner. Arival Orlando From 9 to 12 October, City Sightseeing was featured as a Global Partner at the Arival Event held in Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. They were three productive days full of learning and meetings, a fantastic opportunity to connect with people from the travel industry, and a magnificent showcase for the City Sightseeing brand.
1 View of the City Sightseeing stand at WTM London. 2 With the CS Bangkok team in London. 3 Chelsey Smith at ITB Asia in Singapore. 4 Arival Event in Orlando. 5 City Sightseeing Worldwide stand at TIS Seville.
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Historic achievement in Budapest: we won! Mitchell Baum, one of the winners of the eighth edition of The City Sightseeing Marathon Challenge, won the Budapest Marathon. It was great to see him come in in first place in the City Sightseeing Running Team jersey, capping off a fantastic weekend in Hungary’s capital.
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istory was made! Mitchell T. Baum, one of the three winners of The City Sightseeing Marathon Challenge Budapest 2023, won the Budapest Marathon! The 8th edition of our global competition will forever be remembered for this unprecedented success. From 13th to 15th October, three new runners joined the City Sightseeing Running Team for an unforgettable experience in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. On the occasion of the Budapest Marathon, Mitchell, Janae Baron and Patricia Sanchez had the opportunity to discover, explore and enjoy this beautiful city with
City Sightseeing Budapest. They were also able to run through the streets of Budapest during the marathon. The City Sightseeing Marathon Challenge is not about winning the race. It’s about gathering experiences, sharing a passion, travelling, doing sports, and getting to know the most exciting destinations in the world in a different way. But what’s more, this time we won! As we achieved this incredible success, the participation period for the 9th edition of our global competition opened for applications. Building on the scope
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of this achievement, we achieved excellent participation for the next edition of our competition, which will take place in Seville in February, where our Budapest runners are also invited to travel. However, we will give you more details about this new challenge in the next edition of Top Deck. For now, we want to share with you the incredible success of winning the Budapest Marathon in one of the most iconic cities in Europe. Our three winners and their companions enjoyed an unforgettable experience and that is the most important part of The City Sightseeing Marathon Challenge.
Changing Lives 2024 heads to the Peruvian Upper Amazon The first joint social project of the entire City Sightseeing Worldwide network will raise funds to provide clean water to 12 communities in South America.
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Direct beneficiaries:
2,101 people Funds required:
56,356 euros
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hanging Lives is the first global outreach project driven by City Sightseeing Cares, the new area of City Sightseeing Worldwide to coordinate the social action of the global brand’s operators to amplify reach and support. After consulting with the entire City Sightseeing network between three projects in South America, Africa, and Asia, Changing Lives will focus in 2024 on making water drinkable for 12 communities in the Amazon, Peru.
City Sightseeing Cares will propose a date for a joint fundraising initiative. Each operator will commit to donating 1 euro (or equivalent in the local currency) for each passenger boarding their vehicles on the chosen date, 25th May 2024. City Sightseeing operators around the world can launch their own actions throughout the year to complement the fundraising day, but must not interfere with it. Additionally, City Sightseeing Worldwide is developing a solidarity cart on the global website so that
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our customers can also donate directly to the selected project. By joining forces in every corner of the globe, we’ll create an impact that transcends borders. For 2024, we have the opportunity to change lives in the Peruvian Amazon and that’s priceless. Many people’s lives are about to change thanks to the City Sightseeing international network! Find more at city-sightseeing.com/cares
News Discover the latest products, services, and news from our providers who are constantly innovating.
M&E: Now also in Segovia! M&E Multimedia & Engineering, supplier of the multilingual system for the new City-Sightseeing tourist bus in Segovia. We are very proud to announce that M&E Multimedia & Engineering is the audio guide service provider for the City-Sightseeing Segovia tourist bus. The Segovian bus, whose service started operating last August 1st, follows the route “Segovia Panorama”, a 40 minutes and 16,5 km long route where you can discover the natural, scenic and monumental richness of the green belt of the Eresma and Clamores valleys and offers its service every day of the year. Our multi-language system, available in 5 languages (Spanish, English, French, German and Italian), offers detailed information on the main points of interest along the route. In addition, Chinese, Korean and Japanese are planned to be added in the near future. Our GPS audio systems also have two children’s channels. A format adapted and designed for children. We are confident that our multi-language audio systems together with the City-Sightseening Segovia team will offer a complete and informative experience that will allow visitors of all ages to discover the beauty of this World Heritage City.
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UNVI i23
UNVI is a manufacturer of passenger transport vehicles (buses, coaches, midis, microbuses, wheelchair accessible vehicles, VIP vehicles). Today, UNVI has a yearly production capacity of 700 buses and coaches. UNVI is a worldwide company with its headquarters in Ourense (Spain) and, as part of its international expansion plan, it also has manufacturing facilities in Porto. International presence in the 5 continents
(standard) and Class II (optional). The UNVI i23 is available in electric but also in diesel Euro 6.
The UNVI i23 double-decker electric buses has been 100% developed by UNVI. All components used in the manufacturing are from European suppliers: batteries, axles, electric motors,...
UNVI: new electric i23
UNVI double-decker open top electric, has been running along 5 years: 35 buses fully operational on the streets of Paris, London, Brussels, Barcelona, UNVI DD SIGHTSEEING Oslo and Amsterdam. UNVI solution for these DDOT The URBIS 2.5 DD model has been the best seller vehicle electrical buses is a reliable and fully proven in Europe and is present in the main cities: Berlin, Madrid, solution, which has given the recurrent trust of the Paris, Vienna, Munich, Oslo, Rome, Bath, Athens, Saint Petersburg, Barcelona, Dubai, Busan, etc. first customers who have sent new yearly orders to increase their fleet with new UNVI i23 electrical city Currently there are more than 400 URBIS 2.5 DD units running worldwide. bus. We currently have more than 50 electric units in our portfolio and in manufacturing process or NEW MODEL: UNVI i23 already ordered.vehicles UNVI is a manufacturer of passenger transport as per the R107 and Class I (standard) and Class II
The URBIS 2.5 DD has now being replaced by the new Another projects that is being carried out is called i23.(buses, coaches, midis, microbuses, wheelchair (optional).
RETROFIT, conversion and transformation from
The UNVI i23 is an open top double decker, full low floor accessible vehicles, VIP vehicles). Today, hasbus a for a minimum of 10 to 15 units dieselUNVI to electric or low entry, with up to 67 seats upstairs depending on the model. To be advised. We (maximum seating capacity in 3 axles version), Right yearly production capacity of 700 buses and coaches. The UNVI i23 is available in electric but also in diesel currently have orders for 20 units in production. Hand Drive or Left Hand Drive. It is available in Euro 6. several lengths: from 10 to 15 m. The UNVI i23 is homolgated worldwide as per th R107 and Class I
UNVI is a worldwide company with its headquarters in Ourense (Spain) and, as part of its international expansion plan, it also has manufacturing facilities in Porto. It also has a presence worldwide, featuring in all 5 continents.. UNVI DD SIGHTSEEING The URBIS 2.5 DD model has been the best-selling vehicle in Europe and is present in the main cities: Berlin, Madrid, Paris, Vienna, Munich, Oslo, Rome, Bath, Athens, Saint Petersburg, Barcelona, Dubai, Busan, etc. Currently, there are more than 400 URBIS 2.5 DD units running worldwide.
NEW MODEL: UNVI i23 The URBIS 2.5 DD is now being replaced by the new i23. The UNVI i23 is an open-top double decker, full low floor or low entry, with up to 67 seats upstairs (maximum seating capacity in 3-axle version), Right-hand drive or Left-hand drive. It is available in several lengths: from 10 to 15 m. The UNVI i23 has official approval worldwide
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The UNVI i23 double-decker electric bus has been 100% developed by UNVI. All components used in the manufacturing are from European suppliers: batteries, axles, electric motors,... UNVI double-decker open-top electric buses have been running for 5 years: 35 fully operational buses on the streets of Paris, London, Brussels, Barcelona, Oslo and Amsterdam. UNVI solution for these DDOT electrical buses is a reliable and fully proven solution, which has given the recurrent trust of the first customers who have sent new yearly orders to increase their fleet with the new UNVI i23 electrical city bus. We currently have more than 50 electric units in our portfolio, being manufactured or already ordered. Another projects that is being carried out is called RETROFIT, the conversion and transformation from diesel to electric bus for a minimum of 10 to 15 units depending on the model. To be advised. We currently have orders for 20 units in production.
Corporate
News from the Global Brand
At the WTTC Global Summit From 1st to 3rd November, the City Sightseeing network was represented in the WTTC Global Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, the most influential event in the travel industry.
Awarded project
UGT Andalucia
Innovation focused
The Seville Confederation of Employers (CES) and the Seville Provincial Council recognised El Bus de la Ilusión in Seville with the award for Best Business Initiative as part of their annual CSR awards.
UGT Andalucía and City Sightseeing Worldwide have signed a collaboration agreement with the aim of strengthening the social economy and the implementation of information,
From 13th to 16th November, City Sightseeing Worldwide attended The Phocuswright Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the key event on travel, technology, and innovation.
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#CitySightseeingCares
Charity Cake Sale
Christmas presents
Bangkok tours
For yet another year, the CS Worldwide team in the UK joined MacMillan Cancer Support with a charity cake sale. Other offices in the building came and bought cakes from our colleagues.
At our main office we have helped the Three Wise Men to deliver hope to 35 families in Seville thanks to a corporate volunteering action promoted by CS Cares together with the Spanish Red Cross.
In November, CS Bangkok showed the best views of their city to a group of people with autism, demonstrating their commitment to all people no matter their diversity.
Budapest tours
Charity tours
Portugal donation
Every Autumn, CS Budapest takes injured and disabled children on a city tour, this year as part of a programme including a boat tour, great food, and dancing.
In December and January, CS Spanish operations are offering tours to residents in order to raise funds and toys for NGOs and charity associations through El Bus de la Ilusión and Tours X Juguetes.
Right before Christmas, CS Portugal donated personal hygiene items to the S. Nicolau Social and Parish Centre in Porto, in solidarity with employees, family members and partners.
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CS Operators
Outstanding News from Your Operations
Government recognition In November, CS Lebanon received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Ministry of Tourism. Despite all odds and the difficult situation, our colleagues stay strong! Congratulations, Viviane and team!
Belfast Blue Lights
Victory Parade
Sailing in Palma
Have you seen “Blue Lights”? The BBC’s TV series, set in Belfast? The series is getting great reviews, which is allowing the cameo of the CS Belfast open-top bus in one episode to get a lot of exposure.
The magic of the South Africa rugby national team Victory Parade went on for the CS Cape Town staff. The Official Bok Buses were running in Cape Town after the celebration.
From 6th to 11th December, CS Palma participated as sponsors in the 72nd edition of the Trofeo Ciutat de Palma, held at the Real Club Naútico de Palma.
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London + Malaga
Dublin partnership
UAE + Saudi Arabia
In November, coinciding with WTM London, Malaga City Council used the CS London buses to promote the city as a tourist destination thanks to the collaboration of CS Malaga. Good harmony between CS operations!
Some of the CS Dublin buses showcased a new look on the back! It was an opportunity to feature the EPIC Museum which is located near bus stop number 20 in Dublin. Advertising and partnerships, all in one!
In December, CS Dubai wrapped up 14 of its buses in a Saudi Arabia advertising campaign in the United Arab Emirates, confirming the interest in the rear of our vehicles as advertising space.
Moms travel for free Glasgow calendar
Christmas Lights
On 8th December, CS Panama celebrated Mother’s Day with a special gift: moms rode for free on theis buses when they travelled with their family.
CS London has once again launched its night tour to enjoy the city under the Christmas lights, a must-do activity during this time of the year. The same happened in Beirut, Santander, and many other CS destinations.
Looking forward to seeing the 2024 CS Glasgow Calendar? Our Scottish colleagues invited customers to share their photos of the open-top buses to feature in their annual company calendar. 29
CS Family
Staff Stories
On Volunteer Day On 5th December, International Volunteer Day, CS Cares took the opportunity to thank CS employees, organisations and everyone who has joined this new area in its volunteering activities during 2023.
Halloween in Naples Isaac, the panellist
Corfu team
Right for Halloween, CS Naples invited their customers to wear a spooky outfit and hop on the bus, so they would receive a little surprise. The lovely team in Naples took advantage to encourage passengers.
No matter the weather, the mood with us, stays always the same... Amazing memories that will last a lifetime... The CS Corfu team has the best job in the world!
In October, Isaac Flores from CS Spain took part in a CITCA Suncruise panel in Cadiz – “Towards a new cruise tourism: Innovation and sustainability”, and the Al-Andalus Innovation Venture panel “Innovation in the Tourist sector”. 32
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Seville Jumper Day
Warsaw fighter
Christmas spirit
In December, the CS Worldwide team at the Seville HQ, together with the CS Spain and CS Seville teams, joined the tradition of wearing a Christmas jumper on the week before Christmas.
CS Warsaw operations manager Grzegorz Malski received the T-shirt in which MMA fighter Patryk Surdyn fought his last fight (Grzegorz is the one on the left side :D)
The CS London team donned their most Christmassy hats and decorated the bus. Christmas is made up of these lovely people, don’t you think?
Charity San Antonio Mario, HQ
Panagiotis, Corfu
In December, some of the CS San Antonio team (Tom, Sarai, Jesel, David) and VIP friends attended the Alamo Area Hospitality Association Day-la lunch at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio for a charity event.
Fenia Tsokas, from CS Thessaloniki and Corfu, gave birth Panagiotis last summer. Motherhood is still keeping her very busy, but you see life in a different way with a new CS member!
Mario was born on 18th December and he is the first son of Mara Ruiz, from the CS Worldwide Sales Department. What a lovely baby, congratulations, Mara!
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SuperPosts
The 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.
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The Wall
Social stories
Twitter | Facebook | TripAdvisor | Google | Viator | GetYourGuide
@ITChospitality - Cape Town. Summer, sun & snacks were on the menu at the annual City Sightseeing friends & family picnic on Signal Hill! BIG thank you to @citysightseeingsa for having us. A lot of fun was had!
Milly Pettigrew – Dublin. This was a great way to see Dublin and visit places not accessible by walking there. We learnt so much about the history of Dublin and its brilliant culture! Would highly recommend this excursion!
Raniya Ali – Amsterdam. Great way to tour around the city is hip hop bus.There are many sight seeing places and you will really enjoy
Sarajit_P - Oxford. This is the best thing I did in OXFORD. This is my first time at OXFORD. I was wondering how best to utilize my time, to get to know about the city. I found this tour in my internet search and I am glad, I chose this. It was fun getting around the city with the flexibility of hopping on and off the buses. I liked it so much that I took two rounds of the city in the bus. Its worth the money and time. Quite enjoyable - go for it!
Miss Charm – Ho Chi Minh. One of the must-do activities when visiting Ho Chi Minh City is to explore the most vibrant city in Vietnam using a doubledecker bus.
Tracy - Bournemouth. Was great Drivers friendly and polite helped us to find where we wanted to go. We sat for one last trip right round.
Gerd Suter – Seville. The Best Way to see the City of Seville in one Day its worth it i like that hop on hop off Bus Company i can recomment it.
York England Photos - York. ‘The Wheels On The Bus Go...Upside Down?’ City Sightseeing bus. Next stop; Clifford’s Tower!
Suzanne K – Toronto. We love taking this type of bus tour when we are visiting new cities. This particular tour also included a boat ride in the harbor which went around some of the island, which as a nice plus! We took the tour one day, and the next day explored some of the areas on our own by foot, which worked out well for us. It was really interesting to see the different parts of the city proper. as well as the architecture.
Jenny - Athens. Super organized, a host at every stop who gave you all the information, hop on hop or is great whatever city you visit
@JJBocarando - Seville. @CES_Sevilla, #CitySightseeing y Fundación @Randstad_es organizan una jornada empresarial sobre Responsabilidad Social https://diariodesevilla. es/empresas-al-dia/CES-Sightseeing-FundacionRandstad-Responsabilidad_0_1849017127.html
AMIT_K - Dubai. Absolutely value for money and time was worth every penny we spent would suggest for people who have a day’s time in Dubai.
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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Volvo BZL DD electric
Volvo Buses. Driving quality of life