Routes Europe Hands Over to Marseille for 2014

BUDAPEST, Hungary, May 14, 2013 /CNW/ - After a successful Routes Europe event in Budapest, which with 1,100 delegates was the largest regional route development event ever, Budapest Airport officially handed over to Marseille-Provence Airport, the host of the 2014 event.

Speaking at the 8^th Routes Europe event which has been taking place 12-14 May in Budapest, Pierre Régis, Managing Director of Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) commented: "Marseille-Provence Airport is proud and honoured to host the Routes Europe event in 2014, and to share all of the new opportunities that are being unveiled at this very moment, as the new Marseille is also this year's European Capital of Culture!"

"After this year's successful event in Budapest we are eagerly awaiting next year's Routes Europe in Marseille," says David Stroud, Executive Vice President for Routes. "France is one of the biggest aviation markets in Europe and is the most popular leisure destination in the world. Moreover, the airport has been doing excellent work to accommodate both full service and low cost carriers. These factors lead us to believe we can increase airline and airport attendance even beyond this year's figures."

Marseille-Provence was founded over 2600 years ago and Marseille is the second largest city in France after Paris and the regional capital of Southern France. Combining Mediterranean mildness with Provence's quality of life the area attracts some 10 million tourists every year. World class sites such as Provence, St Tropez, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Arles, as well as ski resorts in the Southern Alps, are all within easy reach.

After several years of some of the biggest urban investments and building projects in Europe, the new Marseille, is ready and waiting at the heart of the ever gorgeous Provence. With its new hotels, new luxury shopping centres and new museums, Marseille ranked No. 2 in the recent New York Times list of 'Places to Go This Year'.

Marseille-Provence Airport in South East France on the Mediterranean is ideally located at the intersection of air, rail and road networks. It is the gateway to the South of France - to Marseille, to Provence, and to the French Riviera. In 2012, the airport registered the strongest growth among major French airports, and came in 4^th out of the 80 biggest airports in Europe (source: ACI). With 8.3 million passengers in 2012 and 13% growth, Marseille-Provence Airport gained 1 million passengers in one year!  In 2013 MRS will be connected to 30 countries, with 28 scheduled carriers flying into 100 different airports.  Many new services will start in 2013 including Turkish Airlines and services to New York.

Notes to Editors

About Routes

• Routes organises world-renowned airline and airport networking events through its regional and global Route Development Forums. Each year, there is one global event and one regional event in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and CIS respectively. http://www.routesonline.com
  
  
• Routes was founded in 1995 as part of the Manchester UK-based ASM Ltd., a consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports. http://www.asm-global.com
  
  
• Routes and ASM were acquired by UBM Aviation Worldwide Ltd in August 2010.  From 1^st August 2012 Routes, ASM and the Airport Cities Conference and Exhibition become part of the UBM Live division of UBM plc.
  
  
• UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their brands and expand their markets.  Through premiere brands such as MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show, the Routes portfolio of events, Airport Cities and many others, UBM Live exhibitions, conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors. http://www.ubmlive.com

Follow us on Twitter: @Routesonline, @TheHUBRoutes, @VictoriaRoutes, @airlineroute, @NLPROU

SOURCE: UBM Live Routes Ltd

For further press information please contact: Victoria Jones, PR Executive, UBM Aviation Routes Limited, T: [phone], E: [email protected]