Atout France and seven partners under the flag FRENCH MED PORTS will attend Seatrade Miami from April 8 to 11, 2024. They will be present at booth #1400. The media are invited to join Atout France & FRENCH MED PORTS to a Meet & Greet and cocktail on Wednesday, April 10 at 4:00 p.m.
ATOUT FRANCE PARTNERS: FRENCH MED PORTS
Cruise Marseille Provence – is an association of 100 private and institutional members, all key stakeholders in the local economy. The port of Marseille is the first port of France and the third in the Mediterranean. In 2023 it welcomed a record 2 600 000 cruise guests (+76% vs 2022 with a record 626 calls (+9% vs 2022). This included 147 LNG calls (23% total calls vs 13% in 2022) and accommodated 32 cruise lines (vs 26 in 2022). Forecast for 2024 are 2.3 million cruise guests, + 600 calls, 170 LNG. Marseille is a leading port for energy transition. A commitment that goes beyond current regulations to reduce the environmental footprint of their port calls. In 2024 the port will host for the third time Blue Maritime Summit which will take place December 5. During its 2022 edition the French Government and CLIA member cruise lines operating in the Mediterranean signed the Sustainable Cruise Charter to surpass current green regulations.
Cruise Marseille Provence websiteCruise Var Provence & Ports of Toulon Bay | a network of five boutique ports in the heart of Provence and French Riviera. The ports from west to east are Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, the Ports of Toulon Bay (Toulon/La Seyne-sur-Mer), Saint-Tropez, Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël. 1 port with 4 berths and 2 cruise terminals:. Toulon Bay terminals (in both Toulon and La Seyne-sur-Mer) are popular with high-end clients and can also handle some of the largest cruise ships currently deployed in the Mediterranean. Some facts & figures: welcome between 15 and 20 cruise companies. Average cruise calls per year: 100 The other 4 ports are typical anchor ports also known as tender ports. Major 2024 anniversary:80th anniversary of Operation Dragoon, a crucial Franco-American landing on August 15, 1944 to liberate among others the ports of Marseille & Toulon.
Cruise Var Provence website
Ports of Toulon Bay websiteAjaccio & South Corsica Ports + Bastia & Northern Ports | The Ajaccio and Southern ports represent four cruise ports led by Ajaccio, Corsica’s capital city. Ajaccio is also the "marquee cruise port" of Corsica accounting for over 90% of cruise activity in terms of passenger numbers and welcomes the ships of most of the major cruise companies. 2024 projections: over 180 stopovers & 300,000 passengers from 28 cruise lines. Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and Propriano, the southern-most "boutique ports" are particularly popular with smaller, very high-end divisions of certain cruise lines with smaller luxury ships. Projections for 2024 for these three boutique ports are for over 100 calls, approximately 23,000 cruise passengers and over 30 different high-end cruise providers.
Bastia, which is located on the East Coast of the island, is considered the nearest and most convenient port of entry to and from Italy. In 2024, eight cruise companies will bring their 7400 guests into this cultural hub of Corsica. On West Coast, three other ports, Saint Florent, L'Ile-Rousse and Calvi, will welcome this year 15 cruise companies and their 26 000 guests to discover the "Nebbiu" and "La Balagne" known for their preserved nature and the artisan heritage.It is estimated that the Northern Corsica destination & ports will host approximately 33,400 passengers for 121 mostly luxury cruise calls.
New website to be announced.
Port-Vendres / Côte Vermeille Cruise Club | At present includes the ports of Port-Vendres & Collioure. In 2023, the Club welcomed a total of 13 stopovers, including 8 in Port-Vendres and 5 in Collioure, with passenger numbers of 3214 and 1405 respectively. These calls were made by 5 cruise lines. For 2024, the Club now counts 6 cruise lines. Forecasts indicate 26 calls, including 18 in Port-Vendres and 8 in Collioure. Passenger numbers for the summer season are estimated at 7,782 for Port-Vendres and 3,369 for Collioure.
Cruise Côte Vermeille websitePort of Sète | The port of Sète, Sud de France is on the Western Mediterranean, ideally situated for cruise liner routes between Italy, France and Spain (Sète-Palma: 266 miles; Sète-Barcelona: 154; Sète-Genoa: 271). The port is SPS-approved and offers 3 stopover sites: The Quai d’Alger: 5 minutes from the town centre, accessible to liners up to 200 m in length (draught: 8m20). The Masselin Dock accommodates liners up to 240 m in length (draught: 11 m), and a shuttle service is provided towards the town centre. Liners longer than 240 m can stop off in the outer harbour. Passengers are transferred by tender to the harbour station (journey time: 15 minutes).
Port of Sète website*Note that the Port-Vendres/Côte Vermeille Cruise Club & Port de Sete will be accompanied by the Occitanie Tourism Board. Occitanie is composed of the former regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. Offering sustainable visiting options to visitors, like the Occitanie Rail Tour. From their did you know section: Occitania is the number 1 region in France for biodiversity. Outstanding and protected natural sites account for 40% of its territory: 11 regional natural parks, 2 national parks, 29 nature reserves, 249 Natura 2000 sites and more. 25% of the Mediterranean coast is owned by the French Coastal Protection Agency.
Port of Nice | The Port of Nice lies at the heart of the capital city of Côte d’Azur France (also know as the French Riviera). It is a major port of call for cruise ships going to Corsica, Malta, Palma de Mallorca, Rome, Barcelona, and other more off the beaten track destinations. It also offers excursions to off-shore French islands like the Lérins. The nearby stop-over port of Villefranche-sur-Mer Bay is also known for its authentic and colorful fishing village and for its Saint-Pierre Chapel (patron saint of fishermen) restored and decorated by Jean Cocteau. Both port average 100 stop-overs.
Port of Nice website
Overall cruise facts & figures for France
France boasts 30 cruise destinations situated around the world from North America (1), the French West Indies(4), South America (1), the French Atlantic Coast (12) to the Mediterranean (6), the Indian Ocean (3) and the Pacific (3).The majority of French cruise ports enjoyed a return to normal in 2023, meaning a slight underperforming in transit port passenger numbers compared to 2019, but an increase in the number of passengers for the ports of call. Major stats include: 5.15 million passenger transit arrivals (- 3% compared to 2019, + 67% over 2022) | 1 million port of call passengers—embarking and disembarking (+22% over 2019 and 95% over 2022) | 3742 stopovers (- 255 from 2019, + 730 from 2022)