United Waterways has taken over Basler Personenschifffahrt AG following approval by the Grand Council of the canton of Basel-Stadt. The acquisition adds three event and excursion ships to the Floating Venues division, establishing Basel as a new location alongside others in Europe. The fleet includes the Rhystärn with capacity for 600 passengers and the Christoph Merian for 500. Plans include expanding offerings and investing in environmentally friendly propulsion. Integration preparations are underway with local tourism partners.
Robert Straubhaar, executive chairman at United Waterways, shared “We would like to thank the canton of Basel-Stadt for its trust and look forward to leading Basler Personenschifffahrt into an independent and successful future together with the existing BPG team.”
Sascha Gill, CEO of United Waterways, shared “Shipping is part of Basel’s identity. With a significantly greater presence from 2027 and innovative formats, we want to strengthen BPG economically and drive forward future investments in environmentally friendly ship propulsion systems.”\
