Top Deck #33

Stage II/Issue 33

Locally written, globally distributed

New Destination

Hola Madrid!

, BTL, FITUR 0 6 3 l a v ri A , in rl e B B / Trade Shows IT edition ever! st e rg a L e g n e ll a h C / The CS Marathon

In this issue. MadridBerlinLisbonSevillePortoDubaiLondonOxfordGlasgowLas Palmas de Gran CanariaNaplesGalwayCórdobaPanamaMálagaCape Town

Everything you need as a CS operator is waiting for you at our Partners’ Hub.

Message from Enrique Ybarra President & CEO City Sightseeing Worldwide

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

Dear Friends, 2024 is going to be full of challenges and great expectations in terms of growth, technological development and partnerships within the travel industry. However, the year started with terrible news for all of us in the global City Sightseeing network, and especially for me - my brother Ramón, whom many of you know as a regular attendee of City Sightseeing’s Annual Conference wherever we met in the world, passed away on the 3rd of March.

It is a huge loss for all of us. At our Seville office, we are finding it difficult to move on. On the other hand, it has been heartwarming to receive all the expressions of affection from those of you who are part of the City Sightseeing family, and, as well as thanking you all for your kindness, I would like us to continue in his honour by taking the City Sightseeing brand to its greatest heights.

Like me, Ramon loved the brand that we all share. His work to develop it in Spain was invaluable and much appreciated by those of us who were lucky enough to work with him. As a more recent part of his legacy, we celebrated the opening of a new operation in one of the cities with the greatest growth in tourism in recent years and a true world capital, Madrid.

We are now continuing this invaluable work by promoting City Sightseeing and its 100+ operators at major trade shows and sporting events and creating the tools for the entire network that will allow us to continue to lead the industry. You can read about all this in this edition, which we dedicate entirely to the memory of Ramón Ybarra.

Always with us.

Yours sincerely,

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Stage II/Issue 33

Locally written, globally distributed

New Destination

Hola Madrid!

, Arival 360, BTL, FITUR / Trade Shows ITB Berlin ever! nge Largest edition / The CS Marathon Challe

In this issue. MadridBerlinLisbonSevillePortoDubaiLondonOxfordGlasgowLas Palmas de Gran CanariaNaplesGalwayCórdobaPanamaMálagaCape Town

/ Staff Editor Antonio M. Ortega. press@city-sightseeing.com Contributing writers Rocío Aparcero, Rosana Pajarón, Paula Saboulard, Sandra Martínez, Bárbara Rincón, Daniel Castañón, María Molina, Chelsey Smith, Gonzalo Ruiz, María Molina, Pilar Malet, Úrsula Moreno, Luis García, Pilar Lobo, Julia Ybarra, Tim Tooher, Laura Marshall.

Production Antonio M. Ortega.

Publisher City Sightseeing Worldwide

Transgrancanaria 2024 Our newest wild adventure 06/07

18/19

26/27

08/09

20/21

28/29

22/23

30/31

Impact of AI on Travel & Tourism Sustainability Reporting Readiness Roadmap

The World of City Sightseeing

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

Special Feature: The CS Marathon Challenge #09

Special Feature: CS Oxord Electric Fleet

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Front cover article: CS Madrid

14/17

Special Feature: Trade Shows Q1 04

Special Feature: The North Face Transgrancanaria 2024

24/25

Company Message: The City Sightseeing Brand’s 25th Anniversary

Gallery / Corporate News Gallery / Tour News Gallery / Staff stories

32/33

SuperPost / The Best of Social Media

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The Wall

Make the difference with exclusive merchandising for your operation Ask for a quote and stand out from the rest. purchasing.city-sightseeing.com

Impact of AI on Travel & Tourism In the previous edition of Top Deck, we asked ChatGPT about the role of artificial intelligence in the travel industry of the future. In this article, we examine the latest report from the World Travel & Tourism Council in partnership with leading technology company Microsoft, which is the second in a series about AI. Read on for the conclusions.

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rtificial Intelligence is not a topic of the future, it is already transforming our lives. Across the travel industry, AI technology is creating new and innovative opportunities with the traveller at many touchpoints. From AI-driven wayfinding apps, to hotel concierge services and booking engines, AI has arrived in Travel & Tourism and is poised to further streamline operations, improve customer experiences, optimise pricing strategies, enhance decisionmaking and so much more.

AI is a powerful enabler for Travel & Tourism and it is transforming the industry much faster than the previous digital transformation, which shows that there is a clear sense of urgency for the sector to not get left behind in this fastmoving business and consumer revolution. However, reports show the travel sector lagged behind the majority of other consumer-facing industry sectors.

A shortage of AI-skilled workers, limited AI infrastructure and data networks, a lack of a formal ‘AI strategy’, and a reactive mindset towards the use of AI (vs being proactive and experimental) have

been identified as potential reasons for this. Action must be taken.

AI & the Traveller Journey AI is increasingly having an effect on every part of the traveller’s journey, including inspiration, planning, shopping, booking, experiencing, and sharing. Some further examples of the use of AI in the traveller journey include personalised recommendations & marketing by analysing vast amounts of traveller data, such as booking history, preferences, and online behaviour; dynamic pricing & revenue management, by combining big data analytics with AI to optimise pricing strategies; customer service & chatbots in order to provide instant responses to traveller queries and requests; demand forecasting & business operational requirements; traveller planning assistance; enhanced customer experience; improved operational efficiency; risk management; destination insights; and sustainability & resource management.

Some leading companies and destinations have already implemented notorious AI initiatives, like American Airlines

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partnering with Microsoft to use technology to create better experiences for their customers and employees, or teaming with Google and Breakthrough Energy to use AI satellite imagery, weather information, and flight path data to help reduce the climate impact of contrails.

The list of companies that have started incorporating AI into their processes is long – IBM, Lufthansa, Expedia, Tripadvisor, Hilton, and many more.

What’s next for AI Artificial intelligence is an area that once belonged to the world of science fiction, but has made significant advancements in recent years. Aproximately 4,000 new AI research papers are published every month. It is difficult to predict AI evolution over the next 5 to 50 years at this very rapid pace of technological development and evolving regulatory landscape.

There are three general areas of AI development that are very likely to significantly advance over the next few years. These are AI Agents, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Robotics.

TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

Download the full report:

https://researchhub. wttc.org/ 07

Sustainability Reporting Readiness Roadmap During ITB Berlin, WTTC and OLiver Wyman launched their new strategic tool to guide businesses through sustainability frameworks, compliance timelines, and readiness assessments, simplifying the journey towards sustainability compliance.

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he World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Oliver Wyman have released a new report “Navigating the Sustainability Journey: The Impact of Mandatory Reporting on Travel & Tourism”, designed to tackle the sector’s unique sustainability challenges.

The report explores the impact of the three most influential sustainability reporting frameworks in the sector – the Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD), the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Climate-Related Disclosures – and offers insights into how to navigate the changing regulatory landscape effectively.

According to the report, some Travel & Tourism companies are unprepared for the imminent

sustainability compliance standards, with urgent action needed, especially concerning complex supply chains and Scope 3 emissions reporting.

As Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Sustainability reporting is no longer negotiable for Travel & Tourism businesses. It is a challenge we must confront head-on.”

The call to action is clear: governments must offer sectorspecific guidance and phased requirements to ease companies into this new sustainability era. Through the Sustainability Reporting Readiness Roadmap launched by WTTC and Oliver Wyman, both the public and private sector are in the position to begin their journey of sustainability reporting. All of us in the industry must commit with sustainable tourism activity.

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Download the full report:

https://researchhub. wttc.org/

TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

Report’s Foreword Every major corporate governance shift in history has followed a simple pattern: first crisis, then action. The last change came in 2008. The financial crash was a crisis of corporate governance, in which power was concentrated in all the wrong places. What followed was an overhaul of financial regulation that transcended countries and sectors, on a scale scarcely seen since.

This time, the crisis is planetary. Global temperatures are rising and ecosystems are at risk. In response, governments and institutions are making changes to the way companies disclose their sustainability information. Tourism is no exception, and travel providers will soon face mandatory requirements for which many are unprepared.

Working across borders poses a unique challenge. The global footprint of tourism means travel providers are subject to a huge array of governance and reporting rules, sometimes spanning a dozen countries and destinations, each with wildly different regulatory requirements. Even companies working in a single jurisdiction may find themselves facing mixed compliance demands based on their subsidiaries and partners in the supply chain. With limited time and resources, companies find themselves consumed by a thick fog of conflicting legal, financial, and strategic advice.

Standardised reporting will transform how the sector works. In the meantime, businesses need the best advice they can get. At the WTTC, we’ve collated expertise from leaders in sustainability and corporate governance around the world to create a single source of guidance for Travel & Tourism. This report, in partnership with Oliver Wyman, has a single goal: to demystify the plethora of sustainability reporting requirements for the Travel & Tourism sector. It covers three regulatory bodies: the European Commission, the US Securities & Exchange Commission, and the International Sustainability Standards Board.

New sustainability requirements are a once-in-a-generation shift in Travel & Tourism. It is a change commensurate with both the scale of the climate problem, and the role the private sector must play. We have all seen the crisis. Now, we need the action.

Companies must assess their obligations, urgently prepare, and demonstrate their efforts not only to investors and policymakers but increasingly to customers too. At risk are the priceless experiences and destinations our industry and customers hold dear. Otherwise, history warns us, the next crisis will not be far off.

Julia Simpson & Virginia Messina, WTTC Scot Hornick & Mike Matheis, Oliver Wyman

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The industry’s first-ever electric open-top bus fleet is launched in Oxford!

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TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

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n March, City Sightseeing Oxford launched an all-electric fleet of zero-emission, open-top buses to deliver zero emission tours for visitors.

Unveiled to mark English Tourism Week, the eye-catching new fleet of electric vehicles is the next stage in Oxford Bus Company’s journey to deliver a decarbonised public transport system.

CS Oxford has added eight electric buses to its fleet, which, together with its existing three retro-fitted electric buses, provides a full zeroemission fleet of open-top tour vehicles. It represents a £4 million investment into Oxfordshire’s visitor economy as the sector continues

to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Presentation in Oxford The City Sightseeing Oxford team were joined by Hayley BeerGamage, CEO of Experience Oxfordshire; Enrique Ybarra, CEO of City Sightseeing Worldwide; and Lady Victoria Borwick, Chair of the VisitEngland Advisory Board, to celebrate the launch. In the picture above are Enrique, María Molina, Luke Marion, and Chelsey Smith.

The new fleet contains additional features for passengers, including glazed staircases and roof lights to improve customers’ views of the dreaming spires. The on-board commentary systems cover 14 languages, along with the popular interactive kids’ commentary ‘Mia Cloo’s Oxford Quest’. It also includes several new safety features, including digital camera mirror systems.

City Sightseeing Oxford has made history by becoming the first sightseeing tour operation in the world with an all-electric open-top bus fleet. A leap forward in sustainability never seen before.

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Hola Madrid!

The global brand returns to one of the most exciting destinations in the world: Madrid, the capital of Spain, a city with remarkable growth in visitors and the capacity to project City Sightseeing’s image to international travellers.

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very year, Madrid receives more than 10.5 million travellers. This figure has been growing rapidly, making the Spanish capital one of the places that everyone wants to visit.

National and international visitors

are attracted by its heritage, its culture, its gastronomy, and its pace of life. It is a city open all day and night, always offering something to see and do.

The City Sightseeing brand

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operated in Madrid from 2001 to 2010, when the local government regulated the hop-on hop-off tour service in a way that is unique to the rest of Europe and the world.

After several years of hard and tireless work, we have managed to return to the city at the height of its tourism momentum and in a leading position in the travel industry for us. Our paths have crossed again at just the right time.

TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

In February, visitors to Madrid once again started having the opportunity to experience this vibrant destination aboard the world’s most recognised panoramic buses from the most widely-present global brand of sightseeing experiences.

The City Sightseeing Madrid tour takes travellers through iconic places such as Paseo del Prado, Retiro Park, Puerta de Alcalá, Gran Vía, and Plaza de España, among others. Thanks to its hopon hop-off system, travellers can move quickly between all Madrid’s main sights. And through its

commentary in eight languages, passengers can learn the most important facts and history of the city.

A global showcase In short, the service we have made popular around the world is once again available in Madrid. This time, other activities are included in the City Sightseeing ticket to offer a more complete experience with access to world landmarks such as the Prado Museum and the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Beyond the experience provided in the Spanish capital, City

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Sightseeing Madrid projects the brand globally through its operations in one of the world’s most sought-after and fastestgrowing destinations.

London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dubai, Bangkok... the list of top destinations and capital cities continues to expand within the international City Sightseeing network, offering travellers and our industry partners alike the most exciting portfolio of destinations.

Hola Madrid! Here we are again to show travellers your most stunning sights.

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TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

A historic year has just begun The first three months of 2024 mark the path that the global brand is going to walk in the business meetings arena. Never before have City Sightseeing Worldwide had as much exposure at the travel industry’s biggest events as we have planned for this year. ITB Berlin, Arival 360 Berlin, BTL Lisbon, and ITB Madrid are the first on this ambitious calendar.

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he year 2024 is set to be the busiest in City Sightseeing’s history of attending trade shows. As we presented at our most recent Annual Conference in Hanoi 2023, brand exposure at professional events has been growing year on year and, with the COVID-19 hiatus behind us, this year we will reach a new record in every sense: the number of shows attended, square metres of exhibition space, the number of City Sightseeing team attending events.... All to promote the global brand and the more than 100 destinations where it operates.

These are the most important professional meetings in which City Sightseeing has participated during the first quarter of the year, all of them in Europe - Germany, Portugal, and Spain.

ITB Berlin From 5-7 March, City Sightseeing Worldwide attended one of the largest and most important travel trade events, ITB Berlin 2024.

Since 1966, the German show has been a reference for the entire travel industry and the global brand has expanded its presence, now featuring its more than 100 operators around the world.

CS operators attending ITB had the opportunity to catch up with the City Sightseeing Worldwide team at our stand 316 - Hall 25, where we met with our partners in the industry.

The latest edition of ITB Berlin, brought together nearly 100,000 attendees and more than 5,500 exhibitors from 170 countries, occupying 27 exhibition halls at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

Arival 360 Berlin For yet another year, City Sightseeing featured as an Arival Global Partner in Berlin. From 2 to 4 March, right before ITB, we had the chance to uncover the top trends in marketing, tech innovations and networking with other Tours, Activities, Attractions, and Experiences representatives.

Additionally, our Head of Distribution & Connectivity, Chelsey Smith, participated on the discussion panel “The Curious Case of Distribution Strategies for Attractions” together with other industry leaders.

This was great exposure for the brand and the City Sightseeing operators and we gained plenty of market intelligence we will happy to share with the CS network.

1 View of the City Sightseeing stand at FITUR Madrid. 2 Information desk at the City Sightseeing stand at ITB Berlin. 3 The City Sightseeing Worldwide team attending Arival 360 Berlin.

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BTL Lisbon For the first time, the City Sightseeing Worldwide team attended the Borsa de Turismo de Lisboa (BTL) in Lisbon, accompanying the City Sightseeing Portugal team to examine the country’s industry. Every year, BTL brings together more than 1,400 exhibitors, 63,000 visitors and a representation of 75 international destinations.

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FITUR Madrid On 28 January, FITUR Madrid concluded its successful 44th edition with a total attendance of 250,000 visitors, 9,000 companies and 152 countries. It even broke the record for exhibition space, with a total of nine pavilions. For yet another year, City Sightseeing Worldwide had a 126 m2 stand in Pavilion 8, where the global brand was showcased and the over 100 destinations involved were

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presented to our partners in the industry, institutions, the media, and the public.

The frenetic promotional activity of the City Sightseeing brand continues in the coming months with prestigious shows such as IPW in the US and ATM in Dubai, UAE, among many others. We will let you know how they went in the next edition of Top Deck.

TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

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4 Chelsey Smith taking part in a panel discussion at Arival. 5 Competition at the CS stand at FITUR. 6 Attendance at BTL. 7 Meeting with ITB Asia representatives in Berlin.

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The CS Marathon Challenge at its peak In February, the largest City Sightseeing Running Team ever took part in the Seville Marathon 2024. The winners of the previous edition in Budapest 2023 together with the three new chosen ones, plus other influencers and friends of the brand, had the opportunity to enjoy running the marathon of their dreams in Seville.

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itchell, Janae, Patricia.

Tyler, Savannah, Luke.

Sergio, Jaydn, Kim, Javier, Manuel, Enrique. We have never had such a large team in the nine editions of The City Sightseeing Marathon Challenge, but this occasion deserved it after our triumph at the Budapest Marathon in October 2023. We all experienced the latest Seville Marathon together, highlighting the tourist experience.

The largest City Sightseeing Running Team ever enjoyed the city of Seville with visits to the Real Alcázar, a guided walk through the historic centre, the classic City Sightseeing Seville bus tour, and some of the city’s best restaurants.

The City Sightseeing brand had great exposure throughout the weekend both at the Expo Marathon with our very own stand, and during the race, with buses

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strategically placed along the route and a red corporate arch with a drumming band just before the last kilometre. The brand’s logo was also featured at different points on the final straight. All this meant there was high visibility for participants in an IAAF Gold Label marathon that every year increases the number of registered runners 14,000 in the most recent edition, half of them from abroad.

TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

Additionally, the Seville Marathon was the perfect excuse to call on runners to give visibility to the fight against ALS through the association dalecandELA. More than 200 participants in the marathon wore the special CS Running Team T-shirt personalised with the image of dalecandELA. To reciprocate their commitment, CS Seville donated to the research of the disease.

As the Seville Marathon weekend came to an end, the sign-up period for the 10th edition of the Marathon Challenge, which will take place in November in Porto, was opened.

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Transgrancanaria ’24: adventure in an Atlantic paradise City Sightseeing Las Palmas de Gran Canaria partnered with The North Face Transgrancanaria, one of the world’s most prominent mountain races, a fantastic showcase for the global brand, and an adventure of a lifetime for four team members and friends of the company.

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ransgrancanaria is an emblematic race for the most extreme runners.

Through seven trails of different distances, the prestigious mountain race crosses the island of Gran Canaria, ascending its most mythical peaks and descending its breathtaking ravines, leaving behind picturesque villages and stunning landscapes. For the first time, the City Sightseeing brand teamed up with one of the world’s leading outdoor sport events.

City Sightseeing Las Palmas de Gran Canaria joined The North Face Transgrancanaria in its twenty-fifth edition. More than 4,100 participants from 73 different

nationalities traversed the various trails of Gran Canaria over five days to accumulate more than 300 kilometres between the Classic, Advanced, Marathon, Starter, Promo, Youth, Vertical Kilometer El Gigante, not to mention the Family and the TransgrancanariaKids Abora by Lopesan.

Our colleagues at CS Las Palmas GC had their own stand at ExpoMeloneras exhibition centre on the south of the island. Around 10,000 people visited the shops and tourist information stands alongside the withdrawal of bibs from the participants.

This 2024 edition has been one of

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the most followed in the history of the event, with over 16 hours of live broadcasting in Spanish, English, and, for the first time, Chinese.

The City Sightseeing Running Team Four team members and friends of the global brand had the opportunity to experience this unique adventure. Leticia and Dani took part in the Starter 21K race, Kico ran the Marathon 46K, and Aythami dared to cross the island from North to South by participating in the Classic 126K. They will never forget this awesome adventure in their home land – an exciting volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

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TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

1999-2024: The story of a dream that came true 31st March marks the 25th anniversary of the City Sightseeing brand, a project that was born with the aspiration to operate locally and connect globally sightseeing tour operators around the world, both existing and newly created.

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he first City Sightseeingbranded open-top bus was launched in Seville on 31st March 1999. It was Holy Wednesday, to be precise, at the height of the Spanish city’s spring high season. In November of that year, the newly created brand was presented at the World Travel Market in London and managed to engage a handful of existing sightseeing tour operators to join its network.

The idea was to bring together under one brand different local operators in one of the few segments of tourism activity that had not yet gone global. It was strange because at the time there were already hotel chains, airlines, car rental companies and other travel-related businesses with a multinational presence.

By creating a central Purchasing centre, these smaller operators could benefit from economies of scale. With a Sales Centre, companies that were only in one city could gain negotiation power and attract the attention of large

tour operators and travel agencies working globally. With a Marketing centre, it was possible for them to exhibit at trade shows where they would rarely be able to present themselves independently. And in short, with the strength of a recognised and prestigious brand, they were able to go where they could not go alone. That brand was City Sightseeing.

This idea was the realisation of the dream of its founder, Enrique Ybarra, who after starting his business in Seville had the aspiration of taking it to the rest of the world both through other local operators like himself and by opening new destinations. And the idea quickly spread around the world.

Over the past 25 years, the City Sightseeing brand has expanded into more than 35 countries, has signed agreements with the leading names in the travel industry, has been featured in the most important forums in its sector and has been showcased at

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the world’s most important trade events. What’s more, together with its suppliers, it has developed the technology, the services, and defined the way hop-on hop-off tours are operated, whether within its international network or by the competition.

The strength of the brand is not only evident in its international presence and global partnerships, but also in its ability to reinvent itself and overcome major world crises, such as the 2008 and COVID-19 crises. As a final twist in the script, on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary, the brand announced that it would no longer be a double-decker bus or boat tour operator, but would take a step forward to become an In-Destination Experiences and Activities Supplier (IDEAS), creating a totally different concept combining the marketing capacity of the OTAs, which continue to be its allies in the industry, and the local presence of a tour operator.

Today, City Sightseeing is one of the brands with the strongest presence in the world’s most iconic city centres thanks to its more than 100 franchisees and licensees and the variety of services it offers. The dream continues.

Corporate

News from the Global Brand

At Destination France In January, the CS Founder & CEO was invited to join the “2nd Destination France International Travel & Tourism Summit” at Chateau de Chantilly with other leading CEOs from the tourism sector.

150+ influentials

10K goal achieved!

TripAdmit deal

The consultancy firm Sergestur (Servicios de Gestión Turística) included City Sightseeing in its list of the 150 most influential companies in the sector during FITUR Madrid 2024.

We are celebrating on social media! City Sightseeing Worldwide’s Instagram and TikTok profiles have now exceeded 10,000 followers (on each account). Not following us yet?

In January, CS Worldwide sealed a groundbreaking alliance with TripAdmit’s digital tipping software, TipDirect, to introduce a seamless, secure, and cashless method for tipping in the global brand’s operations.

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TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

#CitySightseeingCares

UAE Inclusive Tours Cruz Roja Award

Alzheimer’s Research

CS Dubai and AL NOOR Association team up to offer an exclusive tour experience for individuals with disabilities, making Dubai’s landmarks accessible to all.

Cruz Roja recognised CS Sevilla, alongside 16 other companies, for its social commitment.

Collaborative efforts have supported vulnerable individuals, emphasising the importance of corporate partnerships.

CS London supports Alzheimer’s research by featuring Alzheimer Research UK on their buses, boosting awareness and solidarity in the fight against the disease.

Electric buses

CS Cádiz x LaLiga

Asperger’s youth

CS Glasgow and CS Oxford have unveiled their new fleets of electric buses (see page 7). Thanks to these initiatives, City Sightseeing continues on the path towards more sustainable and responsible tourism.

CS Cadiz team up with LaLiga Genuine, Spain’s football league for individuals with disabilities, marking the league’s second phase in Cádiz. CS Cadiz donated four city tours to support the cause.

HR and Commercial departments host tailored training for Asperger’s youth, enhancing their job skills and integration into the workforce, promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities.

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CS Operators

Outstanding News from Your Operations

Influencer in London CS Worldwide and CS London helped influencer Tamara Molina fulfill her grandfather’s dream of visiting Big Ben for his 80th birthday surrounded by his entire family. The reel was truly emotional.

El Bus de la Ilusión

Brand new design!

At Cycle Tour Expo

On 6th January, “El Bus de la Ilusión” opened the Wise Men parade of the Triana Quarter in Seville, carrying the members of the association DEBRA Piel de Mariposa, the CS team, and friends.

CS Porto buses look more radiant than ever with the updated design of their liveries. This corporate update continues in the rest of the operations in Portugal to comply with the brand’s guidelines.

In March, CS South Africa took part in the Cape Town Cycle Tour and had its very own stand in the Expo at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, where they delivered prizes among participants and companions.

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TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

Love Week

Carnival in Portugal ...And in Las Palmas!

On 14 February, CS London and CS Seville celebrated Valentine’s Day with their passengers by handing out heart-shaped balloons and creating special moments for couples. Additionally, there was a prize draw to win a romantic trip to Lisbon.

The CS Portugal team celebrated Carnival in Porto with plenty of colour, brightness, joy, music, and endless smiles.

It was a great time for the entire operation!

In February, CS Las Palmas GC took the Carnival group “La Chichimurga” for a tour around the city. Carnival is one of the peak moments of the year in the capital of Gran Canaria.

Málaga meets Berlin ...And Seville too!

Glasgow new route

Taking advantage of ITB in Berlin, CS Berlin buses held a campaign to advertise the Málaga City Council, thanks to their collaboration with CS Málaga.

From Friday 17 May, CS Glasgow will expand its offering to include a new yellow tour, with 19 stops connecting popular attractions and venues as well as some of the lesser-known but equally fascinating parts of the city.

As in Málaga, CS Seville helped the Seville City Council reach CS Berlin to hire the rear of their buses to promote Seville as a tourist destination during ITB Berlin 2024.

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CS Family

Staff Stories

CS reunion in Madrid The launch of CS Madrid was the the perfect excuse to bring together talent from different operations.

In the picture, Luismi (Málaga), Mª. Ángeles (Seville), Susana (Porto), Inma (Córdoba), and Dani (Seville).

Galway preparation Italy Women’s Day

With the Minister

CS Galway’s new season started on 9th March and the entire team worked hard to get the operation ready to show passengers the best views of the city!

Viviane accompanied the Minister of Tourism of Lebanon at the designation of Kfardebian as the 2024 Arab Tourist Capital, which showcased Lebanon’s diversity and its promise as a remarkable destination.

From Milan to Palermo, the CS Italia staff team wore yellow for the celebrations of International Women’s Day, 8 March.

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TopDeck Magazine | #33 | March 2024

Duval, from Panama

In memory of Ramón Ybarra

CS Panama is introducing its entire team of drivers, guides and, as in the case of Duval, mechanics on the networks. Nice to meet you all!

These are sad days for the whole City Sightseeing family. A few days ago, our colleague, our friend, Enrique’s brother Ramón Ybarra left us. He was so very important to all of us, especially to those of us who saw him every day in the office in Seville.

There is no way to prepare for the pain of losing someone dear to you, but this has been especially hard because it was unexpected. Ramón left us suddenly and an immense void has opened up in all of us.

Ramón was a member of the Board of Directors of City Sightseeing Worldwide and Vice President of City Sightseeing Spain. He was very involved in the development of the business and always attentive to how we provide our service in all our cities. He was a gentleman who loved his country and his family. A family to which all of us at City Sightseeing belong.

Sylwester, London Our colleague from CS London Sylwester didn’t miss the opportunity to visit our Head Office in Seville during his trip to Southern Spain for his holiday. We love to have you all with us!

It hurts to see his desk empty, but if there is one thing we learned from Ramón, it is his desire to live life to the full. We will do that for you, Ramón. And we will never forget you.

Rest in peace.

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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

@TheGoAheadGroup - Oxford. City Sightseeing Oxford is introducing a new fleet of electric open-top tour buses, just in time for English Tourism Week! With a £4 million investment into our fleet and Oxfordshire’s visitor economy, we’re proud to introduce these zeroemission vehicles powered by 100% renewable energy, making sightseeing in Oxford more sustainable than ever before.

Joe T – Dublin. We started our 17 days trip in Dublin and our tour driver was awesome and was a great start to our trip. Would do in again if in Dublin!

Carolina Gutiérrez – Berlin. Buses muy limpios, mas de 8 idiomas disponibles en los audios y con la App se puede ver en tiempo Real donde esta cada bus.

Relación precio muy buena. Muy recomendado.

Paolo_D - Dubai. Everything went trought smoothly The tour bus was very clean and the staff very kind They provide for you for free water

Nita CJ – Bangkok. It was a nice experience to enjoy the city of Bangkok. I bought the 24 hour pass, started from Siam Paragon. I went all around with the bus without getting off first. And then the second time around, I get off at a few destinations that I found attractive such as the Grand Palace and Giant Buddha statue. It’s convenient to those of you who would like to see the city of Bangkok. The audio guide works perfectly, they also give you a map of the route. I opted to sit on the top deck as it has better views than the lower deck.

Daniel Włodarski – London. Mia is already exploring Oxford and London!

Mia Cloo’s Oxford Quest for City Sightseeing.

Andy H – Belfast. Great tour, thanks! Weather atrocious but commentary was informative and funny. I’m glad that the bus wasn’t open topped though. Certainly one of the better tours that I’ve done..

Edoardo - Beirut. Incredibile tour for an amazing city, Thanks to the professional and kind guide!!

Travelmate Stgt - Los Angeles. Memories. A great way to explore #losangeles, #hollywood, #santamonica #venicebeach and #beverlyhills is the #citysightseeing #hoponhopoff bus operated by #starlinetours. Definitely worth the money! #california #travelingram #travelblogger #travelmate #instatravel #unbezahltewerbung @starlinetours @ citysightseeingworldwide @ovationhollywood

terri jo - Amsterdam. Good overview of part of the city of Amsterdam.

@Miss_Scott5 - Glasgow. We have some very exciting letters in our bags! We were very excited today to hear that we will be going on the Glasgow City Sightseeing Bus and visiting the Riverside Museum as part of our topic!

Angelina_S - Edinburgh. So convenient way to get around the city. It would have been much better if the information was available about the upgrade ahead of time that allowed me to extend the service at lower price.

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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