Home > Cruise Sørlandet – A key player in Sørlandet's cruise industry
Cruise Sørlandet – A key player in Sørlandet's cruise industry
Marianne Pedersen is the general manager of Cruise Sørlandet, a company that plays a key role in promoting the region as an attractive destination for cruise guests.
Collaboration with ports is crucial to their success, contributing to local employment and growth.
FACTS:
- 4 permanent employees, 2-3 assistants if necessary
- Employment of guides: 4 man-years, guides aged 18-87 years
- Number of missions for guides (2024): 2,302 missions
- Guests on organized excursions (2024): 70,313 guests
- Guide participation in high season: 80-90 guides on duty in July
- Local economic effects: Increased employment, consumption and tax revenues in the region
Marketing and product development
With a network of member companies and a strong focus on both marketing and product development, Cruise Sørlandet works closely with tour operators, shipping companies and local players to facilitate experiences for cruise tourists. “We try to find out what cruise guests want to experience in our region, and then we go in and talk to those who offer these services and help them put together a product,” explains general manager Marianne Pedersen.
Operative operation and guide distribution
Cruise Sørlandet is also a large guide agency that provides guides for all kinds of assignments – on land, by water, in the mountains, on foot, and by bus. They work closely with Agder Guide, the regional association for guides.
"All the guides who work with us during one year are equivalent to four full-time employees, and the guides range in age from 18 to 87!" - Marianne
They also run a dispatch service, which means they are the local representative for various tour operators or cruise agents. "When they have ships coming to Sørlandet, they hire us to keep things in order when the ship docks, make sure everything is in order at the quay, that the guides and buses are in place, and that the guests are sent on the tours they are supposed to. And if something happens along the way, we help," Marianne explains.
Cooperation with ports
“In order to operate as we do, collaboration with the ports is the alpha and omega. Good collaboration is the foundation for us to be able to provide the best possible service to our customers, and provide the best possible presentation of both the port and the destination,” says Marianne. Cruise Sørlandet and the port facilitate each other's needs.
"The port knows its technical stuff, and we know the destination and the offerings. That collaboration is so important." - Marianne
Cruise Sørlandet also contributes to security in the cruise port area, notifying guides and buses to the port the day before they are going on assignments for ships, and vouching for all the guides. “If an outside tour operator were to do this themselves and bring their own guides, the port would have no guarantee whatsoever of what kind of people are there,” explains Marianne. “The other small ports also depend on Kristiansand having a large quay and a port that can accommodate the largest ships. Kristiansand is the heart and hub of cruise traffic in Sørlandet.”
Future visions
Cruise Sørlandet has big dreams for the port area – everything from a bus stand and a meeting place for all groups starting on foot, to a new terminal building with toilets and a place to handle luggage.
"Our wish is that the cruise ships will exchange their guests here. It also depends on the airport getting even better flight offers to European cities. This will generate hotel nights, more restaurants and dining – everything will get a boost!", says Marianne enthusiastically.
Employment and local growth
The cruise industry has been positive for both small and large suppliers, and for the local business community near the ports, both in Kristiansand and in the other ports, such as Arendal, Farsund and Flekkefjord. "It's not just what's near the ports that benefits from this, but also up, east and west, in other words in the entire region. Tourists leave money far up Setesdal." An increase in the cruise industry generates more jobs, which in turn provides more tax revenue in the various municipalities.
"If the port did not exist, we would not exist either, and then all the employment that we contribute to would also disappear." - Marianne
