French Atlantic Ports encouraging itineraries in the region

Monday, April 20, 2015 - 09:35 by ce-press

Le Havre is a member of the French Atlantic Ports (FAP) which was created in 2001 to promote the region. Valerie Conan, cruise director Le Havre Tourist Officer and spokesperson FAP, believes this may have contributed to an increase in calls: “By promoting ourselves together we promote ourselves as a destination and not as repositioning calls. It is important to show the cruiselines of the wide choice in the region.”

Certainly some brands are now making several calls during the same cruise. For example Saga Sapphire was in Cherbourg and Le Havre this year and will be visiting Nantes, La Rochelle and Bordeaux later in the season. Also in the group are Rouen-Honfleur, St Malo, Brest, Lorient-Belle Ile, Nantes-St Nazaire and Bayonne-St Jean de Luz-Hendaye.

The FAP are sharing information about calls and to come up with ideas that will appeal to cruiselines, demonstrating that it is interesting to plan more than one call to the FAP on the same itinerary.

Related port

Lorient

Situated in Brittany in north-west France, Lorient has a long-standing link to the maritime world. Back in the 16th, Lorient was part of the chain linking Europe to india, and later the French East India Company, backed by King Louis XIV, created a thriving base there. It remains a functionnal port but that, in appearance terms, is pretty much where the historical links end. Much of That port infrastructure was destroyed during World War II, with Lorient being defiantly held by the Germans until the end of the war ans as such, suffering extreme allied bombing... In terms of attractions, Lorient is sprinkled with the usual mixture of street-side bars, cafes ans restaurants for those fond of the authentic french experience. The region is famedfor its high quality fresh seafood, as well as its delicious crepes and local cider.