Atlantic Alliance Strategy

Mission Statement - To Position the Atlantic Alliance as Europe's prime cruise destination

 Goal - To be the fastest growing region in annual number of passengers

 The Atlantic Alliance is a marketing project bringing together 15 ports along Europe's Atlantic and northern coasts. The member ports range in both physical size and cruise market penetration but aim to encapsulate the "best of Europe in 15 ports". This will be done through a focus on customer service delivering to the cruise lines consistent, common quality soft standards across all member ports.

The Atlantic Alliance region covers seven countries each with their own unique culture and heritage. This differentiation represents a major asset enabling cruise lines to encapsulate a wide mix of experiences all within the one cruise destination. The Atlantic Alliance will promote this diversity of cultures united by the sea.

Because of the range of ports in the alliance the existing customer base covers all the major cruise lines. This broad contact base will be fully leveraged to ensure maximum advantage to all member ports. When meeting with customers all member ports will commit to not only promoting their own services but also those of the Atlantic Alliance. The benefits of building itineraries between Atlantic Alliance member ports are to be promoted as the best way to achieve the stated goal.

As a key part of the process it will be essential to establish the Atlantic Alliance region as a destination in its own right, capable of competing fully with the Baltic, Mediterranean and Norwegian Fjords. This can be achieved through the continued development and promotion of theme cruise ideas building on the regions cultural diversity yet common soft standards. With the continued focus on fuel costs by cruise lines the promotion of fuel saving itineraries should be incorporated as part of this process.

The Atlantic Alliance will need to fully utilise all current marketing tools to help achieve its goal to become a “one-stop-shop” for cruise lines, including the website, destination videos, itinerary planner, newsletters, further development of social networking (focussing on B2B-platforms like LinkedIn, bit not FB) sites and development of new innovative ideas, which can be brought in by AA members, such as the idea by Hamburg to create an Atlantic Alliance app. Emphasis will be on use of electronic media and no further paper brochures are to be produced.

 Promotional campaigns should be centred around the key trade fairs with a strong focus on Seatrade Europe to strengthen our identity as "Europe's prime cruise destination". A strong brand presence needs to be established in Hamburg and should include a large booth, sponsorship and hosting of an Itinerary Planners Breakfast and the Atlantic Alliance Cruise Line of the Year Award. A smaller presence will be maintained at the Seatrade Med and Cruise Shipping Miami events to maintain the profile of the Atlantic Alliance within the industry.

Moving forward it is recognised that the best way to promote the region is to bring the key decision makers to the member ports to experience for themselves exactly what the Atlantic Alliance has to offer. This should be done in conjunction with the local tourism board wherever possible to help spread the cost. It is proposed that such familiarisation trips should be carried out annually by sub-region based on geographical convenience. Again the emphasis during these trips should be on the benefits of the Atlantic Alliance as a whole to the cruise lines.

 Common statement to the environmental issue

As environmental management programmes have shown, the cruising industry has taken on board the need for action in the interest of sustainability. This is a matter of ever greater significance both for politicians and for the general public, seeing that the cruising business is increasingly a focus of public interest within the maritime industry. 

The ports that are members of the Atlantic Alliance are pleased to note that cruising trends testify to a responsible awareness in this area, and that considerable efforts are being made to introduce new systems, e.g. with the aim of reducing water and power consumption on board ship. The future energy supply to cruise ships during their main stops remains a crucial issue in this connection.

The Atlantic Alliance is unanimously convinced that only a global or at least pan-European solution will serve. Intermediate solutions cannot be expected to resolve the problem. Only a consistent solution for Europe will meet the acceptance of all the parties involved.

The members of the Atlantic Alliance are urging their national governments to install uniform environmental standards at European level for cruise ships and ports, and to see that the consistent guidelines formulated in this connection are duly observed.

The Strategy Commission Partners

2nd of September 2011