Edvard Munch in a unique cooperation
Thon Hotels, Color Line and the Munch Museum in Oslo are establishing a strategic partnership. The partnership has a common goal to increase tourism to Oslo, “The City of Edvard Munch” and Norway by facilitating cultural experiences for tourists.
There is great potential in boosting international tourism using globally recognized Norwegian culture brands such as Edvard Munch and the Munch Museum.
– Norway has not been focusing enough on cultural tourism. Thon Hotels now addresses the subject. With increased focus on authentic local experience, we believe Edvard Munch`s international stardom may contribute to increased attention to Norway, says Morten Thorvaldsen, CEO Thon Hotels.
The cooperation between Thon Hotels, Color Line and the Munch Museum in innovative and built partly on factors that are important in innovation processes and business models.
– A repositioning of Norwegian tourism is necessary. We want a commitment to experienced-based theme tourism to reverse a negative trend in the industry. It is important to use the internationally recognized and unique attractions Norway offers tourists. Together we will make the most of the opportunities presented by Edvard Munch, says Helge Otto Mathisen, Executive Vice President Communication in Color Line.
Edvard Munch is in a unique position with tremendous international recognition and interest. In 2013, more than 30.0000 press clips about Edvard Munch circulated internationally.
– We are very pleased to have realized this important strategic partnership with Thon Hotels and Color Line. The success of the Munch 150 jubilee was a result of considerable efforts from organizations and businesses, and we will bring these experiences with us into this partnership, says Stein Olav Henrichsen, director of the Munch Museum.
The strategic partnership is in line with the Government`s objectives for tourism and culture. Executive Councilor for culture and commerce in Oslo, Hallstein Bjercke, embraces the agreement.
– This is a brilliant cooperation project that I believe will show that there is a huge potential in the mix between culture and commerce, says Bjercke.
Contacts for further information:
Morten Thorvaldsen, CEO Thon Hotels, ph.: + 47 92 69 77 05
Helge Otto Mathisen, Executive Vice President of Communication, Color Line,
ph.: + 47 99 22 33 30
Stein Olav Henrichsen,Museum Director, ph.: +47 913 80 557
About Thon Hotels
Thon Hotels is part of the Olav Thon Group with over 60 hotels in Norway, one in Sweden, five hotels and 3 aparthotels in Brussels and one in Rotterdam. Thon Hotels is the third largest hotel chain in Norway. The chain is divided into three concepts; Budget, City and Conference. Thon Hotels Thon Member program was recently included in the GHA (Global Hotel Alliance), which provides benefits for hotels in over 450 countries worldwide.
About Color Line
Color Line AS is Norway’s largest and one of Europe’s leading cruise and transport shipping companies. The fleet of six ships transports more than four million passengers, nearly 900,000 passenger cars and over 170,000 trailers each year. Color Line operates with passenger and freight transport, conference, hotel operation, restaurants, shops, entertainment and organized tours. Color Line invested 8 billion NOK in new ships period 2004 – 2012, ports and concepts. The company’s vision is to become best at cruise and transport.
About Munch Museum
The Munch Museum manages and distributes the bulk of the life’s work of Edvard Munch. The art collection’s content and scope of the Munch Museum’s collections is different from any other museums for a single artist. The Munch collection is an important part of the World’s art heritage that Norway is set to manage. In 2019, the new Munch Museum will be completed in Bjørvika.