Top Deck #13

TopDeck

In this issue. Cape TownLondonAmsterdamBrusselsOsloInvernessDubaiMoscowNew YorkLleidaChesterNaplesSharjahBerlinKazanBudapestSt Petersburg

Stage II/Issue 13

Trade Shows Peak Season FITUR Madrid, ITB Berlin, ATM Dubai, IPW USA... tor c e s g in w ro g a , s ip h s / Cruise lo s O , rd fo x O , in rl e B s n / Destinatio City Sightseeing Worldwide Magazine July 2016.

Locally written, globally distributed

View of a removable roof and window solutions: Light transparent polycarbonate roof with aluminum frame and sliding windows.

C

M

Approved Qualified Partner of

Y

CM

OVER 270 OPEN TOP DOUBLE DECKER BUSES OPERATING IN 25 COUNTRIES

MY

CY

ALUMINIUM FRAME NOW AVAILABLE

CMY

K

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 N2E0W14 VEHICLES 10,5, 12 OR 14 METERS LONG AVAILABLE UNVI: LEADING GLOBAL SOLUTIONS FOR YOU

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT WWW.UNVI.ES · EMAIL: COMERCIAL@UNVI.ES · TLF: +34 988 980 600

UNVI NORTH AMERICA, LLC

Sin título-1 1

UNVI CARS & BUS DIRECT www.unvi.fr

UNVI BUS & COACH LTD www.unvibusandcoach.co.uk 13/07/16 17:47

Message from Enrique Ybarra / President & CEO City Sightseeing Worldwide

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

Dear friends,

We have just left behind a busy few months promoting the City Sightseeing global brand and over 100 destinations worldwide involved in our network. Some of the most important trade shows within the travel industry take place in the first half of the year and, as usual, City Sightseeing has been present with its very own stand in all of them.

To attend FITUR Madrid, ITB Berlin, ATM Dubai and IPW USA, among other major events of the tourism industry, allows us to contact tour operators, OTA’s, agents, institutions, the media and customers. In this edition of Top Deck, you will find more information about our presence in all these recent and high profile trade shows.

I would also like to share with you other interesting topics in this issue that directly affect in a positive way our business model: the cruise ship industry, the possibilities of accessible tourism, the increase of air transport passengers... Among the City Sightseeing operators, we have spoken in this edition to CS Berlin, CS Oxford and CS Scandinavia, I am sure we will learn interesting lessons from these exciting operations.

Finally, I want to invite you to discover the new look of the City Sightseeing global web site, where our customers can get key information regarding all operations. With a clean, fresh, new layout – all our tours and services are featured in a more dynamic, easy to navigate way - which I am sure will further improve ticket sales for your operations.

Furthermore, we are managing more IT and Sales and Marketing projects to benefit the City Sightseeing family that we will let you know about very soon.

With my best wishes,

03

TopDeck

In this issue.

Petersburg zanBudapestSt sSharjahBerlinKa daChesterNaple owNew YorkLlei rnessDubaiMosc BrusselsOsloInve ndonAmsterdam Cape TownLo

/ Contents

13 Stage II/Issue

Peak Season Trade Showsd, ITB Berlin, FITUR Madri W USA...

IP ATM Dubai,

sector growing ord, Oslo ships, a / Cruise tions Berlin, Oxf distributed en, globally Locally writt / Destina July 2016.

City Sightseeing

ine

Worldwide Magaz

TOP DECK has now entered into Stage II, with a new design and content layout. There have been 53 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, Isaac Flores, David Strainge, Oliver Nicholls, Mohammed Mouhadda, David Chien, Roberta Calvanese, Dorottya Torok, Marcos Ybarra, Linda McConn, George Grimley, Mandi Jarman, Jesus Ruiz, Emily Valentino, Luis Miguel Labrado, Juan Marchena.

Production Antonio M. Ortega and Juancho Gonzalez.

Design JotaQuKAs

A new global web site is now live for the City Sightseeing family

Publisher City Sightseeing Worldwide

06/07

20/21

30/31

08/09

22/23

32/33

Report: Accessible tourism

We welcome your views about TOP DECK and any stories you might have.

Please send any suitable items for inclusion 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.

Views expressed in the pages of TOP DECK are not necessarily those of City Sightseeing Worldwide, their Franchisees, Associates and Partners or the Editors.

External Interview: George Lawless – Dubai Holding / WTTC

10/15

Front cover article: Trade Shows Peak Season

16/17

Special Feature: Cruise Ships

18/19

Destination: City Sightseeing Scandinavia

The world of City Sightseeing Destination: City Sightseeing Oxford

24/25

Special Feature: Branding is key

Gallery / Corporate News Gallery / Tour News

34/35

Gallery / Staff stories

36/37

26/27

Destination: City Sightseeing Berlin

Gallery / Customers & Richard Morgan’s Ramblings

28/29

38

Special Feature: New Web Site

The Wall

04

Purchas

City Sightseeing Purchasing Department Our Purchasing Department can supply you with a range of City Sightseeing merchandise.

All items of uniform can be ordered, as well as earphones, ponchos, mugs, pens, stress buses and much more.

What would you like?

If you would like any specific products for your tour, contact Pilar Malet for prices and to discuss your ideas. (p.malet@city-ss.com) +44 (0)1789 299 123

Magnet

Most Popular Items In-ear Earphones

Personalized red earphones with 140 cm length cable, City Sightseeing branded on the earpiece. 2 copper cables per channel with one nylon wire and PVC coated. 3.5 mm jack. 15 mm speaker diameter. 20 HZ - 20000 HZ frequency response. Channel impedance 32 ohms. 95 + 3dB/m W at 1KHZ.

Uniform

Ladies Scarf (one size fits all) Ties Pair of epaulettes Jacket Bodywarmer Men’s & Ladies Shirts (Long sleeve and short sleeve versions) Red Skirt Fleece (with or without sleeves) Fluorescent Reflective vest Uniform Cap (one size fits all) Winter Hat (one size fits all) Ticket Seller Shoulder Sac

Poncho

Poncho made of polyethylene 0.02 mm thick Measures: 40”x70” (1016x1270 mm) Red colour / Individual Packaging Minimum order 100

ORDER MORE SAVE MORE!

Order through the e-store on the Members Section of the website

Purchasing Dept Advert 2016.indd 1

www.city-sightseeing.com

29/06/2016 17:09

Tourism / Accessible Tourism for All

The UNWTO alerts on the right and the opportunity of involve the disabled in the travel activities. Accessible Tourism for All is a purpose that the UNWTO inspires with a handbook towards policy makers and destination managers, as well as tourism entrepreneurs, to carry out concrete accessibility measures.

Among the more than one billion international tourists that travel each year, a high percentage consists of families with young children and/or seniors, and persons with disabilities or other special needs. For these millions of people to be able to participate in tourism on equal terms, it is crucial that destinations develop universal accessibility measures. Those destinations that create environments, products and services suitable for all will enhance their supply, enable a better tourist experience and improve the quality of life of the local population and visitors.

People with disabilities represent 15% of the world population. In some countries, the social and economic situation of this group favours their participation in tourism if destinations are well prepared to receive and care for people with disabilities or other special needs.

The percentage of people over age 60, which in 2000 was 11%, will double 06

to 22% of world population in 2050. This will represent two billion people and two billion opportunities for the tourism sector. Many senior tourists can have a stable income, more leisure time and greater availability, and therefore demand accessible services in order to travel without difficulty.

Accessibility is a right, is at the service of users, an investment, it brings great results and generates customer satisfaction.

The UNWTO underlines good practices in several sectors, like the promotion from VisitEngland, travel agencies, accommodation, tourist information... As a destination, Japan shows that hospitality can go beyond welcoming visitors with disabilities, since accessibility is synonymous with hospitality in all areas (understanding signage, a foreign language, a different culture, etc.).

The Eurotaxi initiative is an example of public-private partnership, has

ALL TOURISTS WANT UNIQUE EXPERIENCES TAILORED TO THEIR NEEDS, ALL PERSONS SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO ENJOY TOURISM WITHOUT HINDRANCE

Tourism industry News Snippets Record of arrivals 1,184 million tourists in 2015 International tourist arrivals grew by 4.4% in 2015 to reach a total of 1,184 million in 2015, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Some 50 million more tourists (overnight visitors) travelled to international destinations around the world last year as compared to 2014.

Source: www.unwto.org

USA & Canada Visa regime on citizens entering Europe

successfully managed to deploy a fleet of accessible taxis nationwide in Spain and to include a review of accessibility aspects in the transport legislation in force in the country.

Among the benefits of implementing accessible policies, the UNWTO says that it enhances competitiveness and promotes customer loyalty. Destinations that fail to meet accessibility conditions run the risk of finding themselves out of today’s market. Furthermore, it generates customer satisfaction: Following these recommendations leads to improved quality of service and ensures a good experience on the part of the tourist with regard to the area of accessibility.

In this context, one of the most challenging aspects is transport: there needs to be suitable means of transport to reach the destination and to move around within it. If a destination does not offer this, the tourist will decide not to undertake the trip.

The European Travel Commission has been following with increasing concern the developments in the visa waiver reciprocity mechanism applied by the European Commission towards the citizens of the United States and Canada, who stand for the largest percentage of all extra-European arrivals in the continent.

Source: www.etc-corporate.org

2017 WTTC Summit Bangkok to host the global conference The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced that the WTTC Annual Global Summit will be hosted by Bangkok, Thailand on 26/27 April 2017. The location of the Summit was announced

by President & CEO David Scowsill at the closing speech of the 16th WTTC Global Summit in Dallas, Texas on the 7th of April.

Source: www.wttc.org 07

Gerald Lawless / Chairman of the WTTC

Gerald Lawless have experienced (and contributed) the growth of the travel industry from significant companies in the Middle East and the UK like Forte Hotels, Jumeirah and Dubai Holding. This is his view of the sector as the new Chairman of the WTTC.

1

The year 2015 brought the best results ever for the travel industry. How do you see the tourism sector?

We are very pleased that tourism continues to expand at almost the double the rate of the global GDP growth. The fact that almost 1.14 billion people took international trips last year is hugely encouraging and thanks to the efforts of organisations like the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the economic and social benefits of travel and tourism are now much more clearly understood, especially in the context of the number of jobs worldwide that are attributed to our industry. The WTTC estimates that it is now 284 million jobs, directly and indirectly are supported by tourism, and in the next 10 years this number

should exceed 300 million. I also believe that sustainability is a major responsibility of the travel and tourism industry and that it needs to be clearly understood that sustainability is multi- faceted and is made up of social, economic and environmental aspects.

What are the most important challenges for the travel industry in 2016?

The low level of global growth coupled with the threat of terrorism are the major challenges. Therefore security of travel is of paramount importance. For many years now, the WTTC, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the World Economic Forum have worked closely to promote the concept of freedom to travel through a common international electronic visa process.

2

“THE SERVICE OFFERED BY CITY SIGHTSEEING AND YOUR COMPETITORS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE OVERALL TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE OF A GREAT CITY LIKE DUBAI�

08

08_09 GERALD LAWLESS TD13.indd 8

13/07/16 18:16

This would allow security agencies and governments worldwide to share data in order to provide what could be known as an international Trusted Traveller Programme. Not only would this encourage travel but it would also greatly enhance international security. The suitability of an individual to travel is not dependant on his or her country of origin but depends totally on the suitability of the individual.

In 18 years in Jumeirah Group you have witnessed the development of the travel industry in the Middle East?

Will we see Dubai as the number 1 tourist destination?

The most important thing for Dubai tourism is that it should achieve its potential as one of the prime tourism destinations of the world. This will

3

be reflected in the many attributes that we now enjoy in Dubai, such as safety and security, beautiful beaches, vibrant entertainment and nightlife, an overall high quality experience, ease of access through the visa process and, very soon, the provision of theme parks which would encourage great development in the family market.

Also of prime importance is the MICE market and overall business travel. Dubai continues to be a favourite destination for exhibitions and conventions. This will continue to grow as we head towards the World Expo 2020 as it will greatly enhance conference, exhibition and convention facilities of Dubai.

How do you see the sector of the city tours among the rest of local attractions

4

helping to boost the travel industry, giving reasons to people to fly abroad?

I believe that the services offered

by City Sightseeing and your competitors are essential to the overall tourism infrastructure of a great city like Dubai. Many of our visitors would have never discovered a number of unique aspects of Dubai. Such as the lovely historic Creek side area, the souks and bazaars. In addition to this, such services allow the guests to explore the city in an efficient way so that they understand all the various services on offer. Visits to the locations of iconic landmarks such as Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and Burj Khalifa are very popular and, indeed, ensure that the travellers do not miss anything.

09

08_09 GERALD LAWLESS TD13.indd 9

13/07/16 18:16

ITB Berlin / World’s largest trade show

BERLIN In March, City Sightseeing Worldwide attended ITB Berlin and catched up with the brand’s operators, agents and the public within the most important professional event for the travel industry.

ITB Berlin seemed stronger than ever in its 50th edition: from 9 to 13 March some 10,000 exhibiting companies from 187 countries and regions met with 120,000 trade visitors in the 26 exhibition halls, which were booked up months in advance. These figures revealed that the world’s leading trade show for the international travel industry attracted the largest number of trade visitors since it was launched in 1966. On the purchasing side there was also a further increase in the number of decision-makers: two thirds of the trade visitors stated that they held direct authority for all purchasing decisions. Business conducted during the trade show rose from last year’s figure of 6.7 billion euros to around seven billion this year.

Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Executive Officer of Messe Berlin: “Never before in its 50 years has ITB Berlin welcomed so many trade 10

visitors to the exhibition halls. After this five day event trade visitors and exhibitors are leaving Berlin with a clear message: even in times dominated by a ‘sense of uncertainty’ people are not willing to do without their holiday trips. Conversely, over the past few days the travel industry has made it clear that it can provide suitable answers to the major challenges that it currently faces.” ITB Berlin provided evidence again that this trade show, a global market place and a platform for personal encounters, provides a “firm foundation for the industry during turbulent times“, and in the digital age too it has lost none of its importance for the travel industry all over the world.

The world’s largest convention for the global travel industry attracted a record attendance. The 200 events at the ITB Convention were attended by over 26,000 visitors. It was

“ON THIS SIGNIFICANT ANNIVERSARY ITB AGAIN SHOWED HOW IMPORTANT FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS REMAIN IN AN INCREASINGLY DIGITALIZED WORLD” MICHAEL FRENZEL

ITB BERLIN 2016 RECORD ATTENDANCE BY SOME 120,000 TRADE VISITORS OVER FIVE DAYS

taking place for the 13th time and occupied eight halls on the Exhibition Grounds. The main themes at the ITB Convention, which is regarded as the “think tank“ for the international industry, were “Travel 4.0” and the complete digitalization of all the various business processes of travel companies. Due to the evident willingness of many travellers to spend, the subject of luxury travel also attracted a great deal of interest.

Discussions also took place about the opportunities and risks facing tourism as a consequence of the influx of refugees to Europe. With the first appearance in Europe by a humanoid robot from Japan – clad as an elegant trade show hostess – visitors to ITB Berlin were able to see for themselves how engineers and scientists view the future of a service-based industry.

On the Saturday and Sunday the halls were thronged with visitors.

According to a provisional estimate by the organizers, some 60,000 members of the public took advantage of the wide range of information available from tour operators, including those representing niche markets. As in previous years, during the weekend visitors were able to make travel bookings at ITB Berlin.

For City Sightseeing, it was a great opportunity for us to catch up with worldwide operators who attend every year the German show. The City Sightseeing family gathered once more for promoting the global brand and over 110 destinations altogether, as well as important meetings with tour operators and agents, and other key personalities and professionals of the travel industry that contribute to take the City Sightseeing network to new horizons and projects.

11

FITUR Madrid / An historic edition

madrid In January, City Sightseeing Worldwide was present in the largest FITUR Madrid ever, with 9,605 businesses, destinations from all over the world, tour operators, travel agencies, hotels, transport companies, etc.

The International Tourism Fair, FITUR, organised by IFEMA from 20 to 24 January at Feria de Madrid, has generated a profusion of business, collaboration agreements and new clients for all its exhibitors. Destinations from every country, autonomous regions and territories from all over Spain, tour operators, travel agencies, hotels, transport companies and all types of tourism-related service and technology businesses showcased their products and services to hundreds of thousands of potential clients and held thousands of work meetings, which resulted in a strong intensification of their sales and a powerful spur to their trading activity.

The 36th staging of FITUR achieved the best figures in its history and a high rating for the quality and qualification of the contacts. The event again registered 12

a new record in participation, which coincides with the best figures for the tourism industry in Spain and worldwide. Over its five-day staging, the Trade Show thus received 231,872 visitors (professionals and general public). Particularly noteworthy was professional participation, with 124,659 visitors and 2% growth, consolidating the high international representation that in its two previous editions had already shown growth of 7% and 12% respectively. General public during the weekend exceeded 10% to 107,213 visitors.

FITUR also registered a record in business participation. A total of 9,605 businesses participated, an increase of 3.4%. Particularly relevant was the major advance in the participation of international businesses, which grew by 4% against 3.1% of national participation.

Equally, a significant increase

FITUR MADRID EXPERIENCED THE BEST FIGURES IN HISTORY IN THE 36TH STAGING OF THE SHOW, FROM 20 TO 24 JANUARY

was recorded in direct business participation. This edition saw the presence of 711 main stand holders between companies, institutions and organisations, representing 3% growth, with the incorporation of 178 new businesses of which more than 50% are international. The countries present at the Trade Show, 165, also grew with 16 reinstatements with official participation, among them the Netherlands, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Belize and Guinea, and the new joins Burkina Faso, which came with official representation for the first time, as well as Latvia, which took part with business participation.

These figures explain why City Sightseeing has been present in the Spanish show for 18 years in a row as an excellent opportunity to showcase the global brand and over 110 destinations operating within the City Sightseeing network.

After a new successful edition,

not only FITUR’s leadership for Latin American Countries is confirmed but also, and gradually on the rise, for countries from the African continent, both of them markets to which the Trade Show offers its strategic potential for reaching out to Europe’s tourism business. This is confirmed by the participation of 42 countries from Latin America and 44 from Africa, a figure that grows more and more with each staging, driven by the programme organised together with the UNWTO and Casa Africa, INVESTOUR, which attracted 21 ministers, 350 participants and 99 investment projects to its forums and workshops and hosted 115 scheduled appointments.

Also contributing to these figures and the climate of optimism observed at FITUR 2016 was the high national and international institutional support received, with the presence of high-ranking

representatives and officials. Since the Trade Show was inaugurated by the Queen of Spain on 24 January, FITUR received 80 tourism ministers and top authorities from the five continents. In addition, representing the highest state institutions as well as the Spanish Government and the Autonomous Regions, the President of the Government, the President of Congress, the Ministers of Industry and Tourism, Culture, Development and Justice and a broad group of regional Presidents and Government Councillors came to the Trade Show to support the tourism industry.

We must also add the considerable support given by the World Tourism Organisation, which concentrates its principal actions into FITUR. Moreover, FITUR once again confirmed its status as a reference within the tourism industry on Social Media. It was Trending Topic on its first day and set a new audience and hit record –far ahead of the major trade shows in the industry: more than 150,000 international followers on the principal social platforms, 64 million users reached on Twitter; more than 35,000 tweets with the #FITUR2016 and #FITUR hashtag and more than 16,000 users retweeting about FITUR. Another significant detail revealing the outstanding international relevance of FITUR 2016 was the number of accredited journalists, 6,692, from 48 countries, as well as a total of 492 bloggers.

13

Trade Shows / Peak Season

dubaI NEW ORLEANS LONDON miami SEOUL The spring gathers many of the most important trade shows of the tourism sector, from FITUR Madrid in January to IPW USA in June, including major events like ITB Berlin, ATM Dubai and many more.

The Global Sales Department is en route – London, Dubai, Miami, New Orleans, Cape Town... Oliver Nicholls and his team are bringing the global brand to the most important trade shows in the travel sector. Major events to the whole industry and specialized fairs which feature the City Sightseeing service and our portfolio of over 100 destinations.

Explore GB, MaMa and City Fair London are shows that allow us to be present in a key market for the sightseeing industry. WTM Africa continues the importance of the ExCeL show in Africa, a growing market. Focused on the cruise ship sector, Seatrade Miami is a major opportunity.

Arabian Travel Market, is the leading global event for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry. From 25 to 28 April, the annual business-to-business (B2B) exhibition showcased over 2,800 14

products and destinations from around the world to over 26,000 buyers and travel trade visitors across 4 days at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

U.S. Travel Association’s IPW is the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the US. IPW 2016 was held from 18 to 22 June at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

IPW had more than 1,100 exhibitor booths held by US Suppliers of USA travel products and destinations and more than 5,000 attendees who were international travel buyers, domestic travel buyers and international journalists representing more than 70 countries.

These shows and many more have been the perfect scenario for presenting our new destinations and to promote the existing ones.

AT THE WTTC SUMMIT On 6/7 April, City Sightseeing was present in the 2016 WTTC Global Summit in Dallas, Texas, United States. At the Renaissance Dallas Hotel, which held the event, gathered most of key personalities of the travel industry, including the Secretary-General of the UNWTO Taleb Rifai, the President & CEO of the WTTC David Scowsill and many high representatives of top travel companies, like Expedia, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Airbnb, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Lufthansa, Etihad, Marriott and many more.

The WTTC Summit provided the perfect opportunity for the US to showcase their immense progress in travel facilitation policies for travellers, both in their visa management and entry/exit procedures. Furthermore, this event gave the Obama Administration the global platform to show how successful inter-agency coordination can be delivered, alongside engagement with the private sector for highly effective partnerships and collaboration.

Attendance is complimentary and by personal invitation only, something that reveals the dimension of the City Sightseeing brand as one of the companies invited to attend this major show for the travel industry.

1 The City Sightseeing staff at IPW USA. 2 Tamara Garcia and Aizhan Abikenova in the City Sightseeing Dubai stand at ATM Dubai. 3 City Sightseeing stand at IPW. 4 Gonzalo Ruiz and Sergei Lavrentyev at KOTFA in Seoul, Korea.

1 The President & CEO of the WTTC David Scowsill and Enrique Ybarra at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel.

15

Cruise Ships / Growing sector, big opportunity

The City Sightseeing Global Sales Department is boosting a number of investments and actions focused on taking advantage of the strong position of the City Sightseeing network in the cruise ship industry.

Cruise ships match perfectly with city tours. Short time in a city, lots of things to see, the need to move safely and easily in a unknown place and the need to be back on time for departure. That is why cruise passengers choose the City Sightseeing bus when calling in ports.

The cruise ship industry is one of the most important niche markets for City Sightseeing and the Global Sales Department is working on strengthening our presence. With significate cruise business account growth forecast and the launch of new tours in key cruise locations encourage the investments and the strategies planed by the Sales Dept.

First of all, the City Sightseeing network holds a privileged position for cruise companies with tours in 18 of the top 50 cruise destinations in the USA and the Caribbean, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, together with other

important ports like Dubai in the UAE, Panama, Cartagena in Colombia, Cadiz and Malaga in Spain, Malta, Stockholm in Sweden, and many more. Over 30 tours available in ports of five continents. City Sightseeing works in different fields – marketing, global brand, global agreements...

One of the most important steps in the company’s plan is to increase presence in specialized trade shows.

Last year we attended many major events such as Cruise Shipping Miami, Seatrade Hamburg, FCCA Mexico, WTM. Seatrade events were a great way to showcase the City Sightseeing brand to the influential buyers and decision makers that attend each year. We attended key shore-ex conference sessions and held crucial meetings with some of the biggest names in the cruise industry.

Furthermore, for City Sightseeing Worldwide the annual FCCA Cruise

CITY SIGHTSEEING TO SPONSOR TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CRUISE SPECIALIZED TRADE SHOWS IN 2016 TO STRENGTHEN THE BRAND EXPOSURE IN THE SECTOR

16

16_17 CRUISES TD13.indd 18

13/07/16 18:25

Acknowledgement for statistics: Passenger Shipping Association

Conference & Trade Show is the premier industry event of the year to meet with key industry players, analyse trends and discuss current issues. With pre-arranged meetings and vital networking sessions this has enabled us to connect with crucial contacts on a global scale.

Regarding WTM, traditionally a Travel Trade show, this year saw an increase in Cruise business visitors. We have secured developing partnerships with some strong cruise wholesalers in the UK market.

Finally, the International Cruise Summit in Madrid has been a beneficial opportunity for City Sightseeing to hear the views and opinions of the key executives within the industry, giving us a better outlook on the port operations and the depth it takes when planning shore excursions.

In addition to these major shows, this year City Sightseeing is

sponsoring in September two of the most important events within the cruise ship industry.

One of them, the 23rd Annual FCCA Cruise Conference & Trade Show in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a s​ pecialized ​forum that blends meetings and workshops with social functions, and allows attendees have a unique opportunity to develop relationships with, promote products to, and learn from approximately 100 executives from FCCA’s 19 Member Lines who decide where ships call, what is sold and used on board, and how to invest in destinations and infrastructure.

The Seatrade Cruise Med is the major biennial cruise event focused on the world’s second largest cruise destination – the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas – that will gather more than 3,500 participants from 21-23 September in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

WORLD’S MAIN CRUISE PORTS 1 Port Canaveral (USA-Caribbean) 2 Miami (USA-Caribbean) 3 Port Everglades (USA-Caribbean) 4 Nassau (Bahamas-Caribbean) 5 Cozumel (Mexico-Caribbean) 6 Barcelona (Spain-Mediterraneo) 7 Civitavecchia (Italy-Mediterraneo) 8 St.Thomas (Barbados-Caribbean) 9 Venecia (Italy-Mediterraneo) 10 St. Maarten (The NetherlandsCaribbean) 11 Southampton (Atlantic-Europe) 12 Balearics (Spain-Mediterraneo) 13 Grand Cayman (Caribbean) 14 El Pireo (Greece-Mediterraneo) 15 Jamaica (Caribbean) 16 Galveston (USA-Caribbean) 17 Marsella (France-Mediterraneo) 18 San Juan Puerto Rico (Caribbean) 19 Naples (Italy-Mediterraneo) 20 Dubrovnik (Croacia-Mediterraneo) 21 Genoa (Italy-Mediterraneo) 22 New Orleans (USA-Caribbean) 23 Tampa (USA-Caribbean) 24 Ketchikan (USA-West Coast) 25 Freeport (Bahamas-Caribe) 26 Juneau (USA-East Coast) 27 Savona (Italy-Mediterraneo) 28 Seattle (USA-West Coast) 29 Las Palmas (Spain-Atlantic) 30 Vancouver (Canada-West Coast) 31 Copenhagen (Denmark-North Sea) 32 S.C. Tenerife (Spain-Atlantic) 33 Skagway (USA-West Coast) 34 Grand Turk (UK-Caribbean) 35 Key West (USA-Caribbean) 36 Katalolon (Greece-Mediterraneo) 37 Santorini (Greece-Mediterraneo) 38 Corfu (Greece-Mediterraneo) 39 Livorno (Italy-Mediterraneo) 40 Roatan I (Honduras-Caribbean) 41 St. Lucia (Caribbean) 42 New York (USA-East Coast) 43 Costa Azul (France-Mediterraneo) 44 Bari (Italy-Mediterraneo) 45 Antigua (Caribbean) 46 Kusadasi (Turkey-Mediterraneo) 47 Barbados (Caribbean) 48 Lisbon (Portugal-Atlantic) 49 Hamburg (Germany-North Sea) 50 St. Petersburg (Russia-Baltic Sea) 17

16_17 CRUISES TD13.indd 19

13/07/16 18:25

UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND Bath Glasgow Belfast Inverness Bournemouth Llandudno & Conwy 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 Riyadh Jeddah ITALY Florence Genoa Livorno Messina Milan Naples Padova Palermo Rome Sorrento Turin Verona

HUNGARY Budapest LUXEMBOURG Luxembourg

SINGAPORE Singapore

MALTA Gozo

Malta

NETHERLANDS Rotterdam Amsterdam SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town Johannesburg & Soweto

AUSTRALIA Melbourne

NORWAY Alesund Bergen Geiranger

Oslo Stavanger

POLAND Kraków

Warsaw

SWEDEN Gothenburg

Stockholm

UKRAINE Kiev

*City Sightseeing Affiliate

/ OSLO CAPITAL OF SCANDINAVIA

/ Destination Oslo is an easy-going city where history meets modernity. Founded by Harald Hadrade in the 11th Century and rebuilt by King Christian IV in the 17th after being destroyed by a fire, it is the oldest of the Scandinavian Capitals, surrounded by Mountains at the head of a 70 mile fjord. The city is plenty of interesting attractions, especially world-class museums, a lively nightlife and a number of outdoor activities –hiking, skiing or sailing among them. The Ibsen Museum, the Royal Palace, the changing of the guard and the surrounding parkland are among the sights you cannot miss in Oslo, which is also the economic and governmental centre of Norway.

/ Highlights

> The capital and the most populous city in Norway > Known as Kristiania from 1877 to 1925 > A hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping

CS Oslo bus

City Sightseeing Oslo Start Point: Stop 1 - National Theather Duration: 90 mins Frequency: Every 30 mins Season: Daily operation: 1st April to 30th September 2016 First departure 10:00. Last departure 16:30 – Earlier when cruise ships are in port Ticket Length: 24 hours Commentary: Pre-recorded English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Japanese, Russian, Norwegian >The city in figures Oslo 660,000 inhabitants Speak Norwegian

19

CANADA Toronto

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Chicago Los Angeles & Hollywood Miami New Orleans New York 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 Barcelona* Benalmadena Cadiz Cordoba Jerez Las Palmas Gran Canaria Lleida Malaga Palma De Mallorca Santa Cruz De Tenerife Santander Seville Toledo

UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND Bath Glasgow Belfast Inverness Bournemouth Llandudno & Conwy 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 Riyadh Jeddah ITALY Florence Genoa Livorno Messina Milan Naples Padova Palermo Rome Sorrento Turin Verona

HUNGARY Budapest LUXEMBOURG Luxembourg

SINGAPORE Singapore

MALTA Gozo

Malta

NETHERLANDS Rotterdam Amsterdam SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town Johannesburg & Soweto

AUSTRALIA Melbourne

NORWAY Alesund Bergen Geiranger

Oslo Stavanger

POLAND Kraków

Warsaw

SWEDEN Gothenburg

Stockholm

UKRAINE Kiev

*City Sightseeing Affiliate

In her words / Jane Marshall – City Sightseeing Oxford

Oxford

Jane Marshall Operations manager CS Oxford

City Sightseeing Oxford allows customers to explore such a “world class destination” plenty of sights and activities. Jane Marshall speaks about quality service, a new tour in her operation and the importance of branding in the City Sightseeing international network.

1

The destination “Oxford is undergoing a massive transformation, but it remains a world class destination with improved accommodation levels” Work on quality standards “I strongly believe that creating a happy workplace reflects in our staff, which I hope means they feel proud and confident in their jobs and happy to promote the brand”

Quality service is essential for our global brand, how do you manage this?

Quality of service is not something that should be compromised, a generic standard helps to promote and support every city. A poor experience in one city can so easily reflect elsewhere. We try to instil this ethos across our company, emphasising the importance of continued high standards in every area, whilst still offering a friendly, local service. We speak to all staff regularly and ask them to sign up and commit to our guidelines.

What projects do you plan to undertake in your service for this year?

We have introduced another tour to Oxford this year, called the Meadows and Bridges tour. This offers a different insight into Oxford, at a more leisurely pace, showing areas which have previously been a bit out of reach. Passengers can take advantage of this addition at

2

no extra cost, as our tickets cover both tours. This introduction means we have employed more drivers and ticket sellers, we offer more stops around the city and have a greater visual presence which I hope will bring the benefit of more passengers.

How do you see the brand exposure helping your operation?

Expansion and exposure in Europe can only be a good thing not just for Oxford, but for the entire brand.

Brand exposure helps to spread the word, hopefully providing more passengers wanting to repeat their previous experiences in new cities.

How do you see the City Sightseeing brand in five years time?

I would love to see CSS go from strength to strength in the future, to be able to get a stronger foothold around the world. With the power of the brand and continued message being relayed across the world… where will it lead?

3 4

22

22_23 OXFORD TD13.indd 18

13/07/16 18:28

/ OXFORD THE CITY OF DREAMING SPIRES

/ Destination Oxford is home to the oldest University in Britain –the English-speaking World, in fact– and a truly architectural marvel. It is a city that surprises the visitor with fantastic views of its honey coloured buildings as well as tantalizing glimpses of the hushed courtyards of its many Colleges. Touring Oxford includes beautiful buildings like Worcester College, St. Peter’s College, Brasenose College, Oriel College, St. Hildas College and many more, together with the International award winning Oxford Castle Heritage area, the Ashmolean, the Sheldonian and the historic Carfax junction. In Oxford you are able to follow in the footsteps of Prime Ministers, poets and… Harry Potter!

/ Highlights

> Home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world > Scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed in oxford > Sightseeing, history, business, more than an student city

The University of Oxford and a City Sightseeing Oxford bus

City Sightseeing Oxford Start Point: Historic City & University – Railway Stn Meadows & Bridges – Roger Bannister Running Track Duration: 60 minutes Frequency: every 10-30 minutes Season: All Year Round Ticket Length: 24 or 48 hours Commentary in English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Russian, Polish, English Kids Commentary, English Live Guide >The city in figures Oxford 160,000 inhabitants Speak English 7 million tourists (2015)

23

22_23 OXFORD TD13.indd 19

13/07/16 18:28

Special Feature / Brand recognition is key

T Branding is not only a logo. Branding is a complete identity that involves artwork guidelines, the company’s vision and mission. And it is all about recognition to help customers to identify our product from the competition and imitations.

The City Sightseeing brand is already part of the city landscape of a hundred of the most exciting destinations around the world. You can see our buses in advertising and media coverage, in music videos, and hosting sport parades. Our global brand and bright buses are truly icons of the city and using the proper brand guidelines is essential to take advantage of this huge brand exposure.

At the last conference we underlined the importance of properly using the corporate image and follow the City Sightseeing Corporate Identity Manual. This is the way that our customers quickly identify us and choose us over the competition. On other occasions it is necessary to make a difference regarding imitations,

which shows that City Sightseeing is an increasingly widespread and recognized brand and requires us to comply with our image rules.

Indeed, the corporate image of City Sightseeing is one of the strengths of the company.

City Sightseeing has branched out in more than 100 cities on 5 continents, internationality recognized by tourists as a benchmark of a tourist transport, identified by their characteristics red buses worldwide and turned into a symbol of the tourism sector.

Homogeneity and respect for the brand image and corporate identity as well as the compliance with the parameters and guidelines set by the central set out in the City Sightseeing Corporate Identity Manual, periodically updated.

“OUR BRAND WAS CONCEIVED IN 1997 WITH AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED BASIS FROM THE FAMOUS LONDON DOUBLE-DECKER BUSES”

ALBERTO MATEO Senior Designer

24

24_25 CORPORATE ID-MOD.indd 24

27/07/16 17:39

THE CITY SIGHTSEEING DESIGN TEAM SAY:

“THE CITY SIGHTSEEING BRAND IS FRESH, DYNAMIC AND FRIENDLY. IT INSPIRES OUR PASSENGERS TO ENJOY THEIR LEISURE”

“RESPECTING THE CORPORATE IDENTITY IS ESSENTIAL TO HELP CUSTOMERS TO RECOGNIZE US FROM THE COMPETITION”

“THE ICONIC CITY SIGHTSEEING OPEN TOP BUSES, BOATS AND TRAINS HAVE BECOME A SYMBOL OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY”

LUIS BRIONES Senior Designer

GARY NEW Senior Designer

LUIS GARCIA Junior Designer 25

24_25 CORPORATE ID-MOD.indd 25

27/07/16 17:39

In his words / Dirk Poguntke – City Sightseeing Berlin

Berlin

Dirk Poguntke Operations manager CS Berlin

Dirk Poguntke is in charge of the City Sightseeing Berlin in one of the world’s capitals. He has to face important challenges and, in his opinion, “as a bad experience in one city may cause a competitive disadvantage for a franchisee in another city, we have to work together to ensure that all cities in our network fulfill City Sightseeing’s quality requirements.”

1

Tourism performance “A survey on ITB revealed that 12% more of Germans are planning to spend their vacation in Germany this year.”

Facing competition “Over the past three years we have worked hard to set ourselves apart from our competitors in terms of quality, customer service, and range.”

Brand challenges “It is important to gain more cities to join the network, but the most important thing is to ensure a certain level of quality worldwide.”

26

How is the situation of tourism in Germany?

We assume that, due to the current political situation in the world, a lot of Germans will choose holiday destinations within Europe and especially within Germany itself. Major cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich will profit from this situation, but the coastal resorts on the Baltic and North Sea will most probably also record an increase in visitor numbers.

And how do you do with the competition?

In Berlin, we are dealing with 5 other tour operators. Over the past few years, we have managed to achieve a 35% share in the market.

This year, we are expecting 40%.

Street sale in Berlin is a dog eat dog world and very energy-sapping for our sales staff. Our competitors’ sales staff tries to woo customers with dumping prices, or they even use

2

our information brochures and brand name for their sales conversations.

What projects do you plan to undertake in your service?

We are the only company in Berlin offering 3 different routes and we are working on a fourth one this year. From this year on, all customers profit from three free walking tours which are included in every bus ticket. Furthermore, we are going to expand our fleet by adding 6 more buses. Last but not least: At Easter, we put our first electric bus on the tour and are already busy constructing the second one.

How do you see the City Sightseeing brand exposure helping your operation?

The brand City Sightseeing helps us a big deal here in Berlin. Although there is a lot of competition, customers often automatically decide for us because he or she already knows CS from other destinations.

3

4

/ BERLIN THE WALL AND BEYOND

/ Destination Berlin, Germany’s largest city, is a place exposed to the greatest ground breaking events in World history.

Indeed it is an exciting destination plenty of things to see and do, including world famous visits like the Berlin Wall, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Alexanderplatz and many more. Located in the north of Germany, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate and around one third of the city’s territory is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes.

On the whole, a lovely destination to enjoy both joining the City Sightseeing Traditional Tour (Red Tour), with all the major sights of Berlin, or the Wall & Lifestyle Tour (Green Tour), including the Berlin Wall Memorial.

/ Highlights

> The capital of Germany and one of its 16 states > The second most populous city proper in the EU > A world city of culture, politics, media and science

Brandenburg Gate and CS Berlin bus

City Sightseeing Berlin Start Point: Traditional Tour - Stop 1 - Tauentzienstrasse 16 Wall & Lifestyle Tour - Stop 1 Rotes Rathaus / Neptunbrunnen Westend Tour - Stop1 Tauentzienstrasse 16 Duration: 120 mins Frequency: Traditional: 10 mins Wall & Lifestyle: 30 mins Westend: 60 mins Season: 1st April - 31st October 2016 Ticket Length: 2 Day >The city in figures Berlin 3.5 million inhabitants Speak German 12.3 million tourists (2015)

27

City Sightseeing global web site / New look, more possibilities

Now in www.city-sightseeing.com customers can explore over 100 destinations of the City Sightseeing international network in the most exciting way to experience your services and products.

The new IT Department have been working on the re-design of the global web site for the City Sightseeing family. They have been focused on providing a design with a fresh, friendly layout and lovely videos and pictures in order to encourage customers to purchase more tickets and let them get a comprehensive view of the City Sightseeing services and products, including double decker buses, boats, sightseeing trains, sidecars, walking tours, etc.

Tatiana Toledo, Gary New and Martin Miodownik have worked tireless to update the website and collect the content and visuals for the new one.

“Keeping the web up to date is a never ending project and we are at the very early phases of it. We offer an emotional and beautiful product but we are shy when showing it to the customer” says Martin Miodownik, Head of the IT Department.

Now your operation is featured with the key look that everyone recognises

in your city, pictures that illustrate your product, a sequence of pictures that show the product experience and images of the main stops, together with a map with the route and the stops.

“We need to show them the experience, how much they will enjoy it and how valuable it’s going to be on their next trip. The new website offers a lot more of imagery to the customer, making the product shine. All this together with a more a clear design, highlighting key information, an interactive map and other bits and pieces is delivering results.”

From now on, customers will understand the product much better and this will drive more sales online and offline. “There is still a long path to walk and we still have a lot to learn.

One area we will be looking at is the user experience and how (and when) the customers want to interact with us online. We would love to create a bridge between online and offline to provide a whole brand experience.”

Do you want to complete or improve information? Please email: martin.miodownik@city-sightseeing.com 28

29

Gallery / Corporate

> CITY SIGHTSEEING FEATURED IN THE ASTA 2016 SUMMIT The American Society of Travel Agents – ASTA celebrated its 2016 Summit in Seville, Spain from 2 to 5 June. The organization of the event invited City Sightseeing Worldwide the business sessions to expose the history of success and the current global presence of the City Sightseeing brand. Enrique Ybarra took part in this important conference in the FIBES, the Seville’s largest Exhibition Centre, with over 600 agents and tour operators from the USA. City Sightseeing was also present with one stand in the exhibitors’ area of the ASTA Destination Expo and distributed bags and free tickets for the delegates, who could enjoy the city on board the sightseeing bus and discover the high quality service provided within the City Sightseeing international network.

> PROMOTION IN SEOUL

> POSITIVE REVIEWS GROW

Apart from the ongoing work from the City Sightseeing global office in promoting the brand in the most important trade shows in the world, our operators are doing a good job. In the picture you can see Sergei Lavrentyev (right) from City Sightseeing Russia, and Gonzalo Ruiz (left) from City Sightseeing Worldwide in KOTFA, the best international Travel Fair in Korea.

As we announced in the 2016 Conference, quality service is key in our strategy. That is why we are very happy to discover that we are getting some really positive reviews on TrustPilot. Budapest, Athens, Dublin, Bath, Seville and many other operations are highly rated and this is a role model for the whole network. See more here: uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.citysightseeing.com.

> COOKING TV SHOW ON BOARD In the last months a crew of the Spanish TV Show “Me voy a comer el mundo” (“I’m gonna eat the World”) have been filming in several CS destinations and they took advantage to hop on our buses. You will enjoy their episodes in New Orleans, Moscow and New York, among others.

30

> CITY SIGHTSEEING, AWARDED WITH THE MEDAL OF THE CITY OF SEVILLE The Mayor of Seville handed to the Enrique Ybarra the Medal of the City of Seville in recognition of the foundation of the City Sightseeing brand in this Spanish city in 1999 and the expansion it has featured worldwide during the last 17 years.

Gallery / Charity > CHERNOBYL CHILDREN ENJOY DUBLIN TOUR

> CS SHARJAH SUPPORTS THE PINK CARAVAN

In July, the Liveline RTE presenter Joe Duffy accompanied 20 children from Belarus and Russia on an City Sightseeing Dublin tour, and some cupcakes and chocolate along the way. The children from Chernobyl are spending their summer with Irish host families throughout the country, 30 years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

From 7 to 17 March City Sightseeing Sharjah supported and contributed to the 2016 Pink Caravan (Breast Cancer Awareness), as branding one full bus with the Pink Caravan stickers during the whole month, participating to the launching ceremony with the pink bus, the bus was part of the Soldiers of Pink Hope Caravan, and with Free Check up booth around their bus stop in AL Majaz Water Front in Sharjah.

> SOCIAL TOURS IN CS SPAIN The City Sightseeing Spain operations have kick off a series of social tours in which seniors and schoolchildren benefit of free tours in their own city. At the moment it has been launched in Cordoba and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and is going to happen soon in Seville, Cadiz, Jerez and Malaga.

> CITY SIGHTSEEING STAFF RAN FOR SPORT RELIEF On the 20th of March our City Sightseeing team took part in a 3 mile run for Sport Relief. In this sport event across the Great Britain people can run, swim or cycle to fund projects that really do change people’s lives around the world.

> MEET THE BUS “DANIEL” IN CS STRATFORD Daniel Higgs, a teenager with autism had an open top City Sightseeing bus named after him, to recognise the more than 70 tours around Stratford-upon-Avon and Wilmcote he has completed in the past 12 years. It is the first time that a City Sightseeing Stratford bus has been named. Congratulations Daniel!

> MAKE-A-WISH IN NAPLES, ROME...

Make-A-Wish realized another wish in Italy – Manuel departed on a cruise at the end of May and his journey began to board the City Sightseeing Naples bus. Otherwise, in Naples, Rome and other Italian cities the contributions to Make-AWish have been notorious.

31

Gallery / Tour stories > DUBLIN: “TOURISM IS PART OF OUR DNA” Twelve of North Dublin’s most iconic attractions and destinations have launched a new collaborative tourism initiative, Dublin’s Northside Attractions (DNA) Alliance.

“Tourism is part of our DNA and we are delighted to be an integral part of the Dublin Northside Attractions which was launched by Minister Paschal Donohoe.”

> CITY SIGHTSEEING ST PETERSBURG NOW IN SEGWAY! As you can see in the picture, our colleagues from City Sightseeing St Petersburg have implemented a new system of customer information and ticket sales with the staff moving in segway, so that the sales force is able to move quickly to the stops and the most crowded areas in the city. The segway looks like a good way to advertise the service, don’t you think?

> CS BATH GRANTED FOR LOW EMISSIONS > CITY SIGHTSEEING BELFAST NEW TOUR LAUNCH In June, City Sightseeing Belfast launched their new tour for 2016 – The County Down Explorer show off the beauty of Newcastle and the surrounding area. The tour begins at Newcastle promenade then make its way past Tullymore Forest through to Castlewellan to discover Castlewellan Forest Park.

> CAPE TOWN’S 3-FOR-1 In May, City Sightseeing Cape Town launched its annual 3-for-1 Kids’ Special, which means customers can take two kids (under 18) along for free when buy one adult oneday bus ticket or one oneday Harbour Cruise ticket.

The special runs until 9 October 2016 and is valid on weekends as well as public and school holidays.

32

City Sightseeing Bath has been given a grant of more than £100,000 to further clean up exhaust emissions on its vehicles. This mean secured its bid to have seven of their open-top tour buses fitted with selective catalytic reductions technology.

> CS MOSCOW FOR VISA FACILITATION IN RUSSIA City Sightseeing Russia signed the Russian tour companies manifesto in which they asked the Foreign Ministry to ease the travelling regulations for foreign tourists. Specifically, the recommendations that a group of eight operators sent in a letter for Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov included the issuance of electronic visas and the enlargement of visa-free sojourn for transit travellers to 72 hours. The signatory companies included Intourist/ Thomas Cook, City Sightseeing Moscow and Academservice.

> NEW YORK RIDE OF FAME HONOREE NAMES STREET In May, lyricist Sheldon Harnick posed for a photo with the Broadway cast of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ after unveiling of his ‘Ride Of Fame’ City Sightseeing New York bus and Broadway’s renaming of 53rd street.

> CS BUDAPEST 1ST ANNIVERSARY PARTY On 26 May our colleagues from Budapest celebrated their 1st anniversary within the City Sightseeing network. For the occasion they invited other CS operators and altogether enjoyed a fantastic party in the capital of Hungary. Happy birthday folks!!

> CS SEVILLE CARRIES THE EUROPA LEAGUE AGAIN! > CITY SIGHTSEEING AMSTERDAM IN RED BULL JUMP Do you remember last years’ Red Bull Jump competition in Amsterdam canals, where participants had to jump over a City Sightseeing Amsterdam boat? The activity still makes people talk as wakeboarder Marc Kroon posted in his Facebook page the attached picture of the competition. “This was the highlight of last year for me.

Today I turned 21 and I can’t wait to see what this year is gonna bring! Thanks to @redbull for always giving me wings” said Marc last May. This is the kind of high profile events where the City Sightseeing brand brights for a global public.

Seville Football Club has won its fifth UEFA Europa League trophy and back to the city celebrated with fans. Once more, the buses of City Sightseeing Seville were there to lead the parade and carry the players and members of the Club to the Cathedral, the City Council and finally to the Stadium.

> ANGIE MARTINEZ PRESENTS HER BOOK ON BOARD American radio personality, former rapper, and actress Angie Martinez presented her new book on board the City Sightseeing New York bus with some of the Roc Nation family.

33

Gallery / CS Family

> CITY SIGHTSEEING STAFF MEET THE DESERT Every year, ATM means busy days in Dubai with lots of meetings and catching up with operators, agents and institutions. However this year the crew had time enough for discovering this amazing destination and have some fun.

> TWO CONTINENTS, ONE FAMILY > ISAAC, THE MARATHON MAN Isaac Flores, director of City Sightseeing Spain, is a sport lover. Latest CS International Football Tournament champion, Isaac is also a tireless runner. However, he had never run a marathon until last February when took part in the Seville Marathon. Our colleague crossed the finish line in 3h23min, amazing record for his first 42K!

The City Sightseeing family gathered in New Orleans for the IPW. Our colleagues from Hollywood/Los Angeles, San Francisco and Nueva York, together with our hostesses of New Orleans, met once more the crew from the United Kingdon and Spain. America and Europe, two continents, one family.

34

34_35 STAFF STORIES TD13.indd 38

14/07/16 17:45

> LUISMI & DAUGHTER IN MILANO, IN THE FRONT PAGE If you like football, for sure you know that the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League Final was played by Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid. Our colleague from Malaga Luis Miguel Martinez, who is a truly Atletico fan, went to Milano to see the game with her daughter, a Real Madrid supporter. The UCL final game is one of the most followed sporting events in the world and our friend (and his daughter) was all over the front pages and TV news.

> TORONTO STREET TEAM WORTHS TWO! “You’d be forgiven if you thought you were seeing double at our CN Tower stop 14 today but you weren’t!” says our friends from City Sightseeing Toronto in regards of two of their employees, twin sisters you can find when experience the city on board City Sightseeing Toronto bus.

> MANU OPENED THE NICKI MINAJ CONCERT IN DUBAI

> SCOTT, FROM GLASGOW CUSTOMER CARE TEAM

In March, our friend from City Sightseeing Dubai Manu Ruiz attended the Nicki Minaj’s concert in Dubai with other team mates. It was wonderful when the jumbo screen at the Autism Rocks Arena showed the CS Dubai video promotional in which Manu plays a key role, as you can see in the picture above. Wasn’t it a great moment?

Scott works with City Sightseeing Glasgow every Saturday as one of their customer care team at the George Square terminus.

As you can see, Scott is a very happy smiley guy who loves to share the best sights in the city with our customers. Among his favourite sights, the Glasgow Tower near stop 11.

> ERNESTO SANTANIELLO – SORRENTO

> VINCENT CHARLES MADEIRA – NEW ORLEANS

We have to celebrate another new arrival for City Sightseeing Sorrento & Amalfi Coast. Ernesto is the first son of Alberto Santaniello, a driver in City Sightseeing Sorrento & Amalfi Coast.

Emily & Philip in new Orleans have had a new baby son Vincent Charles Madeira. “Born May 24!!! Happy baby, happy parents” say our friends from NOLA. Congratulations!

35

34_35 STAFF STORIES TD13.indd 39

14/07/16 17:45

Richard’s Ramblings Associate Editor’s Ramblings

I have just spent three days indulging my hobby and was even paid and fed for the pleasure!

Silverstone is a small village in Northamptonshire, England bordering the county of Buckinghamshire, with a population approaching 2,500. The village is old enough to be listed in the Doomsday Book. It was here that I spent three days amongst up to 500 double deck buses and coaches, used to transport hundreds of thousands of visitors, spectators, officials, media and VIPs to, at or from the area.

“People make Glasgow” Our colleagues from City Sightseeing Glasgow: “We know we’re a friendly city but don’t take our word for it - Glasgow has been voted the ‘friendliest city in the world’ in a Rough Guides poll. Just shows you, PEOPLE MAKE GLASGOW!”

What an experience and almighty privilege to participate in this annual event. As a bus driver, a very minute cog in a very large, well-oiled, sleek, highly precisioned piece of logistics, it was numbingly mind blowing! There do not seem to be words to justly describe the the thrills and atmosphere.

Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention this was associated with another rather less exciting event at nearby Silverstone race circuit, when Lewis Hamilton won his third consecutive and fourth F1 British Grand Prix!

Happy touring – City Sightseeing style!

Richard

Happy customers in Prague “It was a great day” said customers in the picture at the begining of July in Prague.

“Love to see the beauty of Prague again in future with the lovely co operative staff of City Sightseeing service.”

36

36_37 CUSTOMERS TD13.indd 1

14/07/16 20:10

/ Customers

Photo tour success in Athens The photo tour is one of the most popular tours of City Sightseeing Greece.

Every day a number of customers choose to continue experiencing the city on foot for some of the most iconic views of Athens.

Napoli - competition winners CS Napoli sponsored a famous competition with over 400 students participants. The finalists enjoyed free tours.

Samantha and Matt topless celebration Congratulations to Samantha and Matt, good friends of CS San Antonio who got married in May and let the operation to be a part of their celebrations.

Cirque du Soleil hop on the City Sightseeing New York bus Check it out! Cirque du Soleil Paramour took the bus to their opening night on Broadway!

Grateful from Berlin “Thanks City Sightseeing Berlin!!! Had an amazing day today, every member of your team that we have met has been lovely. I’ve had a great birthday!” says Beth Martland.

Special Guest in ExoMars Day Moscow City Sightseeing Moscow celebrated ExoMars Day with a special guest – an astronaut in the top deck of one of their iconic open top double-decker buses.

Michael Jackson Legacy in Moscow In June, City Sightseeing Moscow celebrated the Michael Jackson Legacy Day with special customers.

37

36_37 CUSTOMERS TD13.indd 2

14/07/16 20:10

The wall! / Social stories

Twitter, Facebook or TripAdvisor anyone? We have collected some social media feeds from our industry.

Emily Mkp. I love these tours. In every city I visit, the red buses are always the first thing I look for. It allows us to get an idea of what there is to see and this is especially useful when visiting a new destination

Enrico M — Cape Town. consigliatissimo per visitare la città ad un costo veramente basso la guida tramite auricolari in più di venti lingue fra cui l’italiano.

13 June 2016

@TheBoxtyHouse. Great value citysightseeing tour for this weekend with some great savings :-) #LoveDublin

Kirscha Sloan – Panama. I took the Panama, Panama City tour. The tour was great. You see all sorts of different things, old city new city, out the flamingo island, Panama canal and course you can get to some malls. The best was the getting off at certain places. Doing what you want and then getting back on the bus. The price was great too.

@CitySSChester. The best way to see #Chester is from the top deck of our red #CitySightseeing bus HopOn now!

@NYCFC. Take a free #@RideofFame bus to the #NewYorkDerby on May 21st bit.ly/1T9QqsM #NYCFC

Jennifer Jayne Careaga – Palermo. We took your tour in Palermo, Italy last summer and loved the tour! A great way for cruisers who have a limited time in a city, who want to visit a lot of sights but may not want to stop at each. The free wifi was a lifesaver! We can’t wait to try your Athens, Greece tour next summer.

keelyb251089 – Dublin. Got the 48 hour pass and it was amazing! Great for first time visitors and would highly recommend, stops at all the places you need to. Norman was our driver on the first day and he was great, funny and even did a sing song. Definitely made our trip 12 June 2016

@chng_time. #citysightseeing was awesome and great deal we saw just about everything because of you tours #54 #NewYorkCity

Walt Threlkeld – Sorrento. The best way to see the Amalfi coast, excellent staff, coach and commentary

@info41313173. Oslo City Train, all our trains are ready to serve you and your family

@turismodemalaga. #CitySightseeing, una buena forma de explorar cómodamente los rincones de nuestra ciudad #Malagaexperience

Angelique Fouri – Cape Town. Awesome!!

Definitely when you don’t know your way around Cape Town, want to learn a bit of history and facts or when you want to get the most from your visit to the Mother City. A definite must, GREAT value for money!

Paola Santana Baez – Dubai. Last September I have been in Dubai and I love these Tour. It’s perfect to visit any city: it’s very comfortable, the information of the city is very interesting to know about the traditions, customs ... while you visit a new place in your holidays.

City Sightseeing Worldwide. New Instagram feed.

Why don’t you tag your pictures using #citysightseeing whenever you are hopping on and off our buses worldwide?

22 October 2012

@edinburghtour. Did Visitors from Nottingham taking our #CitySightseeing tour to celebrate #Queenat90 Welcome aboard! #Edinburgh

Mareez E — Naples. Nancy in the red line was such an awesome tour guide! She helped us decide on where to eat, shop and spend our time.. Definitely a friendly crew down there.. Shout out to you nancy!! 6 June 2016

@Meingenieria. M&E installs his multilingual systems in the new #CitySightseeing #toledo buses

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

38 THE WALL TD13.indd 42

13/07/16 18:47

SIGHTSEEING TRAINS

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.

Euro 5 Toyota Hilux engine trains (Euro 6 to be released in 2014), with a choice of 144 hp or 171 hp engines and Automatic or Manual Transmission and slope surmountable of 10% or 16% depending on the engine.

In 2014 we will present the new Hybrid model with Mitsubishi engine capable of climbing slopes of 25% at full load stop. A revolutionary and unique train perfect for natural terrain with slopes or the streets of the historic areas of cities.

ILERTREN - Tourist Trains Pol. Ind. Les Comes. C/ Avinguda Indústria, 1 25123 Torrefarrera (Lleida) Mobile +34 611 493 771 / Phone +34 973 247 035 export@ilertren.com / www.ilertren.com

39 ILERTREN TD13.indd 1

14/07/16 17:57