Cruise offers everything young travellers are looking for, they just might not know it yet.
That’s the message from Travel Associates/Cruise Boutique’s Flynn Cox, who at 22 is already a cruise specialist. It’s a move he admits has seen him get a few raised eyebrows, but he’s passionate about dispelling the notion that cruise is for older demographics. “The more experience I’ve gained, the more I can confirm that cruise is not just for one person and knowing that has helped shape the way I sell cruise.”
Cox says young people absolutely belong in cruise, and for those who want to capture this market, he says the answer is showing the younger travellers that cruise offers experiences they already want: entertainment, food, adventure, culture, wellness, nightlife, family time, friendships.
“I’d much rather wake up and go to a buffet breakfast than get on a 6am coach and just feel like death for the next two hours.”
Cox, who was CLIA’s New Zealand Rising Star this year, says it is all about how agents position cruise, showing a cruise as a solution to the clients’ objective. “If a client wants to watch a sunset in Santorini, that’s what they’re going to buy; if they want to explore Alaska without organising multiple hotels, then that is what they are going to buy; if they dream of seeing Europe without constantly unpacking, that’s what they are going to buy,” he says. “I don’t need to know everything about cruise, I just need to take the initiative to ask the question ‘what are your thoughts on taking a cruise?’, because every one of those itineraries would be 1000 times better on a cruise.”
. . . Advice
Cox spoke at CLIA’s Cruise360 last week and shared advice for young consultants breaking into the industry and selling cruise.
He urges agents to make an effort to get people interested in a cruise, and create opportunities to start conversations. Cox cites his recent Set Sail Sessions which he held in partnership with cruise lines as one example. The casual coffee catchups resulted in Cox selling over six figure’s worth of cruise packages, he adds.
. . . Teamwork
Cox’s key piece of advice for those starting out in the industry is community, from colleagues and bdms to suppliers and CLIA.
“The best advisors aren’t the ones who know everything, they’re the ones who know where to find the answers,” he says. “Use your team, use your network. The industry thrives on collaboration, new ideas and fresh thinking.”
He also highlights the importance of agents working together, saying the future of travel will not be built by one group alone. “Every one of us plays a role in helping people create memories that last a lifetime.”
