During the social conflict of the SNCM, 18 cruise stop-overs were canceled in Marseille - Photo J.D.L.
TourMaG.com - What is the assessment of the cruising sector in Marseille for the 2014 summer?
Jacques Truau: “The summer 2014 season went well. A very successful season despite the effects of the social conflict in the SNCM that we were subjected to directly even though the company is not involved with the cruising sector.
We have no socio-professional relationships with the union of SNCM personnel and yet, we were threatened and forced to cancel 18 stops between June 24th and July 10th 2014.
Which resulted in a loss of 45,000 passengers in Marseille. The economic impact for the city and its region amounts to 6,3 million euros.
It’s a shame because, without this unfortunate event, we could have welcomed 1,350 000 cruise passengers in 2014. The year should end with around 1,305 000 passengers.”
TourMaG.com – Are you still optimistic about the rest of the year?
J.T.: “Absolutely. Our stops schedule is filled up. We have around fifty scheduled every month until the end of 2014.
And for the long-run we are also very optimistic. We are going to keep growing in terms of traffic.
Our objective for 2015 is to reach 1,350,000 cruise travelers.
We are projecting to welcome 1,6 million passengers in 2016. These estimates are built on sales expectations and a stop-over schedule so they are completely realistic.”
Jacques Truau: “The summer 2014 season went well. A very successful season despite the effects of the social conflict in the SNCM that we were subjected to directly even though the company is not involved with the cruising sector.
We have no socio-professional relationships with the union of SNCM personnel and yet, we were threatened and forced to cancel 18 stops between June 24th and July 10th 2014.
Which resulted in a loss of 45,000 passengers in Marseille. The economic impact for the city and its region amounts to 6,3 million euros.
It’s a shame because, without this unfortunate event, we could have welcomed 1,350 000 cruise passengers in 2014. The year should end with around 1,305 000 passengers.”
TourMaG.com – Are you still optimistic about the rest of the year?
J.T.: “Absolutely. Our stops schedule is filled up. We have around fifty scheduled every month until the end of 2014.
And for the long-run we are also very optimistic. We are going to keep growing in terms of traffic.
Our objective for 2015 is to reach 1,350,000 cruise travelers.
We are projecting to welcome 1,6 million passengers in 2016. These estimates are built on sales expectations and a stop-over schedule so they are completely realistic.”
Jacques Truau is the President of the Croisière of Marseille Club- Photo DR
TourMaG.com – The SNCM is still in a sticky situation and is not protected from another social conflict. Which precautions have you taken in order to not be penalized in the unlikely event of a strike of the crew of Marseille’s maritime company?
J.T.: “We alerted the highest level authority of the grave consequences such a strike would have on the sector and economy.
We met with two of the Prime Minister’s advisors last Monday (September 8, 2014.) We warned them that we absolutely needed to avoid this conflict, if it were to take place again, to keep it from extending into the cruising sector.
This would risk severely annihilating all of the efforts that undertook to climb from the 9th to 6th ranking of the Mediterranean Ports in 2013 and even rise to the top 5 in 2014.”
TourMaG.com – Do you think that you have been heard on the topic?
J.T. : “Yes. I think that the highest government officials understand that the cruising sector is major for the Port of Marseille.
It is an indicator of reliability for the entirety of the harbor activity at the international level.”
TourMaG.com – What effects do the recent commercial developments (Terrasses du Port and Voutes de la Major) of the Marseille coast have on the cruising sector?
J.T.: “It is a bit early to provide an assessment. The opening of Terrasses du Port happened early June and that of the Voûtes de la Major just this week.
The stop-over schedules are planned sometimes up to 18 months in advance by consignee agents. These new developments could not be included.
I think that everything will be clearer by next year.”
J.T.: “We alerted the highest level authority of the grave consequences such a strike would have on the sector and economy.
We met with two of the Prime Minister’s advisors last Monday (September 8, 2014.) We warned them that we absolutely needed to avoid this conflict, if it were to take place again, to keep it from extending into the cruising sector.
This would risk severely annihilating all of the efforts that undertook to climb from the 9th to 6th ranking of the Mediterranean Ports in 2013 and even rise to the top 5 in 2014.”
TourMaG.com – Do you think that you have been heard on the topic?
J.T. : “Yes. I think that the highest government officials understand that the cruising sector is major for the Port of Marseille.
It is an indicator of reliability for the entirety of the harbor activity at the international level.”
TourMaG.com – What effects do the recent commercial developments (Terrasses du Port and Voutes de la Major) of the Marseille coast have on the cruising sector?
J.T.: “It is a bit early to provide an assessment. The opening of Terrasses du Port happened early June and that of the Voûtes de la Major just this week.
The stop-over schedules are planned sometimes up to 18 months in advance by consignee agents. These new developments could not be included.
I think that everything will be clearer by next year.”
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