Cruise industry leader Joel Katz is making an ‘unashamed’ plug to get agents on board his group’s development program as the sector gets even more complex and diverse.
Katz, the regional managing director of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Australasia & Asia, says with the growing diversity of cruise experiences coming on stream, it is crucial that agents selling into them are up to date with the latest trends.
There is huge growth globally in cruise and there’s never been more choice, he says on the side lines of the New Zealand Cruise Association conference. From the large contemporary cruising through to the midsize ships, smaller luxury vessels, expedition and river, there is growing diversity. Cruise Sector Needs Trained Agents “We really encourage agents to learn as much as they can about each of those categories, so that they engage with a guest and understand what they’re looking for and make sure they’re put on the right ship the first time.’’ Within different companies there are different brands and agents who know the industry can move clients from one brand to another. CLIA’s travel trade membership connects agents to the world’s largest network of cruise travel professionals and offers professional development, business growth, and industry leadership.
Latest figures show cruise lines have 86 more ships on order and the global number of passengers cruising is forecast to increase 5% to 40.3 million in 2027. “There’s never been a better time to be a cruise sales agent. Cruise still delivers incredible value for travel agents and huge opportunity with the enormous growth that we’re seeing,” says Katz.
