"Destination Rügen - Cruise & Ferry Network" launches - Know-how to strengthen passenger shipping on Rügen is bundled

Sassnitz-Mukran, February 13, 2019 - The association "Destination Rügen - Cruise & Ferry Network" was officially founded on Monday (11 February 2019). This is the next step to strengthen the tourism region Rügen. The association wants to contribute to raising the profile of Germany's largest island, the neighbouring region and the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and to sharpen the tourist profile vis-à-vis the ferry and cruise shipping companies. To this end, all local actors are to be involved.

In order to offer cruise passengers an attractive shore leave, the bundling of the tourist offers of Rügen and its surroundings is becoming increasingly important. In the search for new destinations, the smaller Baltic Sea ports are increasingly moving into the focus of the individual market shipping companies, which account for 25 percent of calls in the Baltic Sea region. Through "Destination Rügen - Cruise & Ferry Network", the local economy, the tourism industry and local shipping companies are now more closely networked.

The transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience among the association members integrates the regional tourism destinations into the marketing and should lead to a supplement as well as a further development of the tourist offer structures. The island of Rügen and the Hanseatic city of Stralsund would like to present themselves to international tourists in a more attractive way, and transit tourists should also be attracted for stays of several days on the Baltic Sea island.

As a maritime service provider, Mukran Port has been involved in tourism development on Rügen and the surrounding area for some time. With the election of Thomas Langlotz, Commercial Director of Mukran Port, as the first chairman of the association, the previous commitment of the port is honoured and further consolidated.

"The association offers us all the opportunity to combine the interests of the ferry companies established in Mukran and the booming cruise industry with those of the regional economy," says Thomas Langlotz. "Together we can both create a welcome culture for day guests and increase the attractiveness of the island and the region for longer stays. Important are offers that attract passengers and tourists to Rügen even outside the season", the new chairman sums up the goals of the association.