The Opera House of Toulon is now open to visitors but only cruise passenger groups as is the Royale Tower of Toulon, a 16th century military fort.
‘Thanks to its network, VPCC can uncover some surprising sites, not known to tourists – yet,’ says Anne-Marie Blum, VPCC manager. A good example she notes is the Domaine d’Orvès, a private estate where a typical fortified town( bastide) stands amid a Provençal garden, awarded the Outstanding Garden label by the French Ministry of Culture.
The focus on authentic local experiences includes the creation of Arts and Heritage walking tours at Hyères, Le Lavandou or Bormes-les-Mimosas. The idea is to meet local artists, craftsmen and producers face to face, Blum adds.
Last year saw a record 278 calls (23 maiden visits), 362,479 passengers and 32 different cruise lines visited the ports of Var-Provence. Smaller ports such as Sanary-sur-Mer, Bandol and Saint-Raphaël are emerging while Fréjus and Cavalaire will accommodate their first cruise ships in 2017.
The Var Chamber of Commerce and Industry – manager of the Ports of Toulon Bay – have made significant investment in developing infrastructures able to accommodate larger cruise ships.
2016 was a turning point with the inauguration of a new cruise terminal at La Seyne-sur-Mer and renovation works at Toulon City-Centre’s cruise terminal.
The Ports of Toulon Bay are set to host the MedCruise General Assembly in October 2017.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Cruise News to your Google News feed.
