From a cross-Channel port club to a true European network
The genesis of TransEurope Marinas dates back to 1987. At that time, a handful of French and British ports, such as Brest and Plymouth, decided to work together to accelerate their development and stimulate their activity. Named TransManche, it gradually developed and began to attract interest beyond its initial catchment area. At the end of the 1990s and in the 2000s, it opened up more widely and welcomed marinas from the Baltic Sea to Greece, Croatia and Italy. Today it hosts 80 marinas in 12 European countries.
"Having already been president of the association in the 1990s, I can tell you that the network has metamorphosed. At the beginning, for the French or English ports, the idea was just that by giving some advantages to their customers, they could keep them longer and develop their activity a little. Today, it goes beyond that, it has become really pan-European" explains Jean-Michel Gaigné, President of TransEurope Marinas.
Offers to boaters and cooperation between ports
A founding idea, the proposal of advantages to the clients of the member ports remains current. The company Pick a Pier provides the association with software to digitalize this management. "This is the tip of the iceberg, with the agreement to build customer loyalty and offer them a 50% discount for up to 5 nights per year to facilitate stopovers. The submerged part, which is less visible, is the exchange between ports on technical issues. The last videoconference, for example, dealt with the price of energy, its increase and its management according to the different billing systems" explains the president of TransEurope Marinas.
In the future, the network wants to go beyond just being a marina and serving owners with their boats. "In 2023, the desire is to be a destination martketplace. We sell a global destination. If I have my boat in Saint-Quay Port d'Armor and I want to rent a boat or a floating home in the Baltic or in the Netherlands rather than going there with my boat, I will go to the ports in the network and have advantages there. The ports offer a range of services, from rental to sailing school through many tourist services" summarizes Jean-Michel Gaigné.
A European reference
TransEurope Marinas also plays an informal institutional role. "There is no European federation of marinas. If our objective is not to be one, we assume this role to some extent, notably by working with EBI (European Boating Industry), for example on the monitoring of water in marinas. We are also associated with ICOMIA" concludes the president of TransEurope Marinas. The development projects are numerous for this network, which is now well established in the European nautical landscape.
