Rouen Cruises announced that representatives from tourism offices along the Seine River Valley and Channel convened to discuss elevating the passenger and crew experience and reinforcing the Seine in Normandy as a leading river tourism destination.

The company said in a press release that the meeting, held today at the Abbaye du Valasse, focused on enhancing internal coordination to improve experiences for visitors.

The meeting was organized by Rouen Cruises and Caux Seine Normandie Tourisme, and the meeting included:

Rouen Cruises’ Jaco Seyffert
Caux Seine Normandie Tourisme’s Barbara LedeMay and Thomas Gramont
Le Havre Etretat Normandie Tourisme’s Aloïs Hoch
Office de Tourisme Communautaire de Honfleur’s Jérôme Radanovic, and
Seine-Maritime Attractivité’s Auriane Leguay.

The group also recognized that current trends sometimes see cruise companies bypass local tourism offices.

So, the group underscored the need to strengthen internal collaboration so that when the time is right, the region can partner with cruise companies to maximize benefits for all stakeholders.

The company added that the initiative aims to align regional tourism strategies better and lay the groundwork for future partnerships with cruise companies.

Key initiatives that emerged from the meeting include the following:

Streamlined communication and data sharing, including the launch of a shared drive to exchange insights in real-time, and a joint newsletter to provide a unified narrative for the Sein
A coordinated marketing strategy that addresses pricing and data collection discrepancies, implement robust data analysis and guide future collaborative efforts
Infrastructure and service enhancements that modernize ongoing projects and refine survey methodologies to better understand and cater to passengers
The appointment of a neutral coordinator to streamline collective initiatives and bridge differing operational practices, and
Arranging periodic follow-up meetings to ensure that shared strategies are effectively implemented.