Travel Counsellors hosts first cruise partner day

Travel Counsellors has held its first dedicated ‘partner day’, which saw cruise supplier partners, support team colleagues and homeworking agents come together to share ideas and trends from the sector.

Themes for the day included an increased focus on sustainability in sea and river cruising; booking patterns and trends; and opportunities for business growth.

The event was attended by representatives from Cunard, Scenic & Emerald, APT, Silversea, Celebrity Cruises and P&O Cruises.

There were 20 attendees, including some of the best cruise sellers, with more tuning in online.

It was held at Travel Counsellors’ head office in Manchester, with findings shared internally and via cruise training across the company.

Janet Whittingham, Travel Counsellors’ head of cruise, said: “Our first dedicated partner feedback event offered a golden opportunity to bring some of our valued cruise partners and Travel Counsellor cruise specialists together to share their experiences, and ultimately work towards a common goal – to show the highest levels of care and personalisation for our cruising customers.

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“Dedicated days like this featuring two-way feedback are so important in strengthening the momentum of our cruise partner relationships.

“Over half our over 1,500 strong UK Travel Counsellors community made cruise bookings last year, and we’re delighted to see this movement continue at full speed this year.”

Cruise bookings now represent nearly 15% of leisure sales at Travel Counsellors, and last month saw cruise sales soar to nearly £7 million.

Julie Tebay, Travel Counsellor business owner and cruise specialist, said: “My takeouts from the day are numerous, but my number one has to be the chance to catch up face-to-face with some of our key cruise partners, many of whom I make bookings or enquiries with on behalf of my customers almost on a daily basis.

“Matching the right customer to the right cruise is vital for my business, with many customers coming back to me for recommendations.

“I know their personal preferences, so getting close to each cruise company I work with is equally important.”

Other partner days are planned which will be held along the same lines to cater to different market sectors.