TUI’s Self-drive Boating Business Adopts Le Boat Name

TUI Travel’s self-drive boating division, Inland Waterways, is getting a makeover of sorts. Last month, TUI launched Le Boat, the new name for the umbrella brand that now encapsulates Crown Blue Line, Connoisseur and Emerald Star, self-drive boating brands that TUI owns and operates under its Inland Waterways division.

Crown Blue Line, Connoisseur and Emerald Star have all been in service for more than 35 years, but they are now being marketed and sold in Europe and North America under the Le Boat name and at LeBoat.com. All three brands also have individual Web sites.

The main point of differentiation between the three brands is regional. Emerald Star focuses on the self-drive boating business in Ireland. Crown Blue Line and Connoisseur boats sail in Ireland as well as in France, England, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

For 2008, the Connoisseur brand is adding 15 new boats to its fleet. The boats will all be classified under the new Royal Mystique Elite class of boats.

The boats will also feature in-suite toilets and showers. In many older models, the toilets rest within the showers, which was a common complaint among past self-drive boaters.

Le Boat was founded in 1979 by Petermann’s mother, Evelyn Gresser. In 2005, Petermann, who had taken over the business by then, sold the name to First Choice Holidays, which merged with TUI’s tour division to form TUI Travel earlier this year.

The growing popularity of river cruising and travel along Europe’s scenic waterways has slowly spilled over into more niche forms of sailing, including canal barging and the self-drive boating business.