CLIA further bolsters trade support with website enhancements

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has introduced a range of trade-friendly features and resources on its website to help further support agents. A raft of new training opportunities, sales tools and information resources are now available online.

They include:

• An online ‘booking guidelines’ page, which contains details of how agents can work with cruise lines to become an authorised seller, and make a booking or access both availability and price. The page has info for nearly 30 cruise lines, with more to be added in due course
• A compilation of the latest fam trip, ship visit and network opportunities from across CLIA’s member cruise lines, on the new 'CLIA Recommends' page
• An outline of the online training opportunities that are directly on offer via CLIA’s ocean, river, luxury and expedition member cruise lines
• A link and more information on CLIA's new interactive sustainability toolkit, which highlights how the cruise industry is advancing its sustainability agenda. The toolkit includes reports, statistics, maps, posters and infographics
• Recordings of the recent ‘boot camp’ training webinars, which covered the new ships, itineraries and experiences available on a number of CLIA member cruise lines. Recent interviews with senior executives at the RiverView Conference in Vienna are also now online, exclusively to members of the RiverView Program
• New 'Itinerary Experience' factsheets have been produced to boost destination knowledge of three key cruise itineraries: the western Mediterranean, eastern Caribbean and northern Europe. These will supplement CLIA's existing 'Destination Factsheet' series by offering practical information on how the destinations sit within some of the most popular cruise itineraries
• Additional details of CLIA’s ‘Riverbank’ fund, an initiative available to agents enrolled in CLIA's RiverView Program or who attended the conference in Vienna, which offers up to £1000 for the best ideas for attracting new-to-river cruise customers
• CLIA has also added details of its 2023 CLIA Cruise Master Award, presented annually at the Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards, which for the first time is open for self-nominations. The award is on offer to agents who have achieved the prestigious master level certification.
• CLIA is additionally encouraging agents to continue to check in with their regular trade information updates, which include:
• ‘Cruise Daily’, which contains the latest cruise news, agent-specific updates including new training guides, cruise line initiatives and competition winners, as well as the ‘Last Month in Cruise’, a round-up all the latest cruise news from across the sector
• Brand profiles and trade contacts’, a one-stop-shop for brand overviews, trade sales contact information and social channels of CLIA cruise lines and river cruise operators

Andy Harmer, managing director for CLIA UK & Ireland, said: “Cruise trade enquiries and bookings are on the crest of a wave, and we’re determined to help agents capitalise on that momentum. From sales advice and funding opportunities, to the latest news and views on the sector, our enhanced website ensures a wealth of insight and know-how is at agent’s fingertips.”

For more information go to www.cruising.org