The cruise capital of Hamburg hoisting its flags

In recent years, Hamburg / Germany has become an international hotspot for the cruise industry. This September the north German port city will bundle its cruise-themed events: based on the motto "Hamburg welcomes you on board", both the general public and professionals from the cruise sector are invited to join the ten-day programme of events in Hamburg from 04 September to 13 September 2015. Highlights will include the public festival Hamburg Cruise Days and Seatrade Europe, Europe's leading cruise industry event.

With 189 ship arrivals and around 590,000 passengers in 2014, Hamburg has firmly established itself as Germany’s leading cruise destination – and has also made it to the top in international cruise industry rankings. The City of Hamburg has been responding to this development by hosting various industry events and public events, thereby raising Hamburg’s profile as an economically successful maritime destination.

For the first time this September, several major events from the cruise sector will be collaborating: the Hamburg Cruise Days (11/09-13/09), Europe's biggest public cruise event, and Seatrade Europe (09/09-11/09), the European trade fair for the cruise industry, are now joining forces to create the framework for a unique cruise-themed programme of events that will bring tourists, service providers and industry experts to Hamburg every other year. Alongside these two large-scale events, Hamburg will also be hosting fvw Cruise Live (11/09), the one-day travel sales event for the cruise industry, as well as two additional trade events (08/09-09/09) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world's largest cruise industry association. The spectacular light installation Blue Port Hamburg (04/09-13/09) by light artist Michael Batz will create a unique setting for these maritime events by bathing the port and some of Hamburg’s main attractions in magical blue light for ten days.

To bring Hamburg’s residents and guests on board during the programme of events, Hamburg will be hoisting its flags in the most literal sense: during the ten days, the motto "Hamburg welcomes you on board" will be highly visible across the city and provide the guiding theme for various cruise highlights. This will be complemented by a varied fringe programme by numerous cooperation partners from the retail, hospitality and port industries. For example, this year's Harbourfront Literature Festival in Hamburg will be held during this period, retail shops in Hamburg’s city centre will pick up on the cruise topic, while the Port of Hamburg Marketing association will offer guided port tours, enabling participants to take a glimpse behind the scenes of Hamburg’s port and cruise companies.

Frank Horch, Hamburg’s Minister of Economics, will act as patron for the "Hamburg welcomes you on board" campaign. "By bundling these highly visible events, Hamburg has the unique opportunity to sustainably strengthen its international relevance in the cruise industry and to be perceived as the cruise industry’s maritime centre of excellence by audiences worldwide," said Mr Horch.

For ten days in September, the port of Hamburg will once again be transformed into one big stage for Europe's major maritime events. This is where cruise experts meet stakeholders from the maritime industry, and where cruise fans and cruise ship passengers celebrate on board and on shore. Business and leisure go hand in hand – the true Hamburg way.

HAMBURG WELCOMES YOU ON BOARD:

Hamburg’s cruise events at a glance: 04/09 to 13/09/2015

04-13 September                     Blue Port Hamburg
                                                 www.hamburg.de/blue-port-hamburg

08/09 September                      CLIA Port & Destination Summit (trade visitors only)
                                                 contact: blarsen@cruising.org

09 September-10 October       Harbourfront Literature Festival
                                                 www.harbourfront-hamburg.com

09-11 September                     Seatrade Europe (trade visitors only)
                                                 www.seatrade-europe.com

11 September                           fvw CruiseLive (trade visitors only)
                                                 www.fvw.de

11-13 September                     Hamburg Cruise Days
                                                 www.hamburgcruisedays.de

More general information about the cruise destination Hamburg: www.hamburgcruisecenter.eu/en.

About the Hamburg Cruise Days
The Hamburg Cruise Days 2015 will be held from 11 to 13 September. During this grand event, eight cruise liners will be calling at the port of Hamburg. Themed islands along the River Elbe will create a maritime world of experience on shore. The setting for this event will be provided by light artist Michael Batz and his BLUE PORT HAMBURG project. Following the events in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, this is the fifth Hamburg Cruise Days festival to take place. The event is organised by Hamburg-based agencies uba gmbh and redroses communications GmbH and is licenced by the Hamburg Convention Bureau GmbH. The next Hamburg Cruise Days festivals will take place from 6 to 10 September 2017 and from 13 to 15 September 2019. www.hamburgcruisedays.de

About Seatrade Europe
Seatrade Europe, the leading European trade fair for the cruise industry, is held in the very heart of Hamburg. This is where experts and decision-makers from the maritime industries get together to talk, set new trends and network. Exhibitors include shipyards, marine equipment manufacturers, food and beverage suppliers, classification societies, as well as cruise ports and shipbrokers. From a compact clinic to a large kitchen, from waste disposal to entertainment technology: the operation of a cruise ship is highly complex and represents a logistical masterpiece. At the concurrent Seatrade conference, high-ranking speakers discuss topical issues from the maritime industries. Seatrade Europe will be held from 9 to 11 September 2015. www.seatrade-europe.com

About Blue Port Hamburg
The light installation BLUE PORT HAMBURG by light artist Michael Batz has immersed Hamburg’s port in magical blue light since 2008. As part of the project, the port of Hamburg and around 100 objects in and around the port are illuminated before and during the Hamburg Cruise Days festival – thereby creating a link between the port and the city, between the shore and the river, and between cruise passengers and visitors to the festival. In 2015, the project will kick off on 4 September and will then illuminate Hamburg’s port landscape every day after sunset until 13 September. www.hamburg.de/blue-port-hamburg

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