Riverside romance in the heart of Germany

Fraport and Eurotours Initiate Tourism Cooperation – International Tour Operators Can Create Customized Tours and Book Directly – Official Launch at GTM 2014 – Partners Include: Frankfurt, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Heidelberg, Moselle, Ruedesheim, Saarland, the German Fairy Tale Route, DZT, KD River Cruises and DB German Rail

Flowing through the region surrounding Frankfurt Airport (FRA), the Main, Moselle, Neckar, Rhine and Saar are a few of the many rivers that define the geography, history, culture and daily life of central Germany. These rivers each offer their own unique romantic charm and atmosphere, where historic towns meet picturesque landscapes, where wine culture meets dazzling skyscrapers – starting from FRA, Germany’s gateway to the world. Thus, we have branded this tourism cooperation program: “Riverside Romance in the Heart of Germany.” The cooperative program brings together various tourism promotion agencies from Frankfurt, Mainz and Wiesbaden in the immediate airport region; as well as Ruedesheim on the Rhine, Heidelberg on the Neckar, the Moselle Valley, and Saarland. Another partner is the German Fairy Tale Route, which begins at Hanau near Frankfurt and takes visitors through scenic towns associated with the folklore of the Brothers Grimm’s tales of fantasy. The “Riverside Romance” program includes transportation partners like KD River Cruises and DB German Rail, as well as the German National Tourism Office (DZT).

Fraport AG (the Frankfurt Airport company) and Eurotours International (a direct tour-operator and incoming tourism specialist) have initiated the new “FRA-Gateways to Europe” platform for the international incoming tourism industry – in cooperation with regional tourism agencies and other travel partners. Pierre Dominique Prumm, senior executive vice president of Fraport’s Airside and Terminal Management division, explained Frankfurt Airport’s role: “This summer, people from nearly 300 destinations around the globe will come to Frankfurt Airport. As the international gateway to Germany, we want to encourage travelers to discover and experience the vast richness of our region. At the same time, we are strengthening development of the tourism industry.”

This tourism cooperation is unique because of the joint marketing platform (www.FRA.gateways-to-europe.com) that has been FRA– Gateways to Europe is being officially launched to the international travel trade at the Germany Travel Mart (GTM 2014) from May 11 to 13, in Bremen, Germany. Eurotours’ head of business development, Franz Gredler, stressed: “I am very enthusiastic about the high level of cooperation among the partners, particularly the strong support for creating new travel products, whereby we can offer individual and customized travel itineraries for our international customers. In the autumn, it will also be possible to book online via our expanded booking tool.”

The “Riverside Romance” tourism program in the heart of Germany and Europe will be promoted internationally by all of the cooperation partners – including at trade fairs, workshops and via roadshows. Marketing will focus on activities in the Arabian countries, China, India and Russia. Because of the wide range of partners, the platform will be able to gain strong market visibility, even in places where only individual partners participate.

Frankfurt’s Thomas Feda, managing director of Tourism and Congress GmbH Frankfurt, said: “This booking portal will enable Frankfurt/Rhine-Main to be strongly networked, while intensifying the region’s image as an attractive international destination. The offer of river cruises is enriching, because the city of Frankfurt is also directly located on the Main waterfront and is an important place for river cruises.”

August Moderer, managing director of Mainzplus City Marketing added: “The City of Mainz tourism team is pleased to be part of this strong alliance. Only through close cooperation with local partners and the international operating Eurotours is it possible to market the unique attractions and rich diversity of the Rhine-Main region to the global marketplace. We have the opportunity, via our great offering, to open up new target groups.”

Martin Michel, managing director of Wiesbaden Marketing GmbH, also emphasized the advantages for incoming tourism: “Wiesbaden will benefit from the supra-regional networking of tourism service providers in central Germany – because this will greatly increase and enhance perceptions, both nationally and internationally. Through our joint initiative we will be able to offer unforgettable experiences for our guests from around the world!”