Cherbourg the first French Atlantic coast port labelled 'Cruise Friendly'

For cruise visitors this means participating shops will stay open for longer during cruise calls and will offer discounts. Quality of service will be guaranteed by shop keepers, restaurants, musuems and attractions and in return, they benefit from improved visibility thanks to multi media marketing, such as website, app and tourist map.

‘Local actors were convinced right away by this approach’, comments Julien Bougon, Cruise Manager at the Cotentin Tourism Office  in Cherbourg.

‘At the heart of our aim is providing a quality welcome and having the cruise passengers live a unique experience when they call at our port.

During the first year about 20 local  companies  are involved, Bougon explained, such as Le Café du Port, La Manufacture des Parapluies de Cherbourg (famous umbrellas), Beer'z, Cherwood and ‘Les Eleis’ shopping mall.

This certification also builds loyalty among the cruise lines as it improves the passenger satisfaction rate of ship calls.

A brand licensing agreement launched in Toulon

The Cruise Friendly certification was launched in 2013 in the ports of Toulon Bay (Toulon and La Seyne- sur- Mer) and is monitored by the Var Provence Cruise Club,  a department of the Var Chamber of Commerce in Toulon.

The Cruise Friendly brand has since been extended to over 14 destinations including Bandol, Sète, Saint-Raphaël, Saint-Denis de la Réunion, Fort de France, Cherbourg and internationally in Yokohama, Japan.