Provence Promotion puts economic development on the agenda at Euromaritime!

"Invest in Provence" seal awarded to cruise company CMV

On Tuesday, January 4, 2020, the regional economic development agency Provence Promotion bestowed its "Invest in Provence" seal on Croisières Maritimes & Voyages, the first foreign cruise operator to locate its French headquarters in a city other than Paris.

For the inaugural edition of the Euromaritime trade show in Marseille, Provence Promotion had no choice but to play an active role. To capture the interest of other foreign companies, what could be better than to celebrate the ones that have already made the choice to move into the region?

Philippe Stéfanini, Director of Provence Promotion, Hervé Martel, Chairman of the Management Board of GPMM, and Jean-François Suhas, President of Club Croisière Marseille Provence, awarded the "Invest in Provence" seal to the cruise company in recognition of its decision to open its French headquarters on Quais de la Joliette in Marseille.

The company has already hired 15 cruise industry professionals ‒ nine from Paris and six recruited locally, proving once again the appeal Marseille holds for talented workers and their families.

"Most international cruise lines base their French headquarters in Paris. We wanted to get back to the fundamentals of cruising and reset our approach to the sector. That is why it was crucial for us to be in close contact with our product, which is our ship. So Marseille was a natural choice. Beyond that, we decided to open our office on Quai de la Joliette, the traditional hub of the city's shipping companies and big cruise lines," noted Clément Mousset, Managing Director of CMV France.

Prospecting and hosting businesses

The CMV decision came about as a result of Provence Promotion's prospecting for maritime and logistics projects. For more than a year, the agency lent its support to the ambitious plan, working alongside Club Croisière Marseille-Provence, which helped to develop a positive relationship.

Furthermore, this week the agency is partnering with Rising Sud and the City of Marseille to welcome to Marseille-Provence a Luxembourger delegation representing the maritime sector. Their itinerary includes a day at the Euromaritime trade show and a series of meetings:

• a tour and presentation on the port facilities at the Port of Marseille-Fos;
• a tour of CISAM with the international incubator and accelerator Zebox, and the "M" accelerator; and
• a tour of the La Ciotat Shipyards, a leader in refitting and repairing super yachts.

Over the last three years, Provence Promotion has assisted 25 French and foreign companies in the logistics, maritime and transportation sectors with setting up business sites in the region. Driven by its strong results, Provence Promotion remains committed to prospecting in the maritime sector.