p24 UKCC Cruise feb6 3/2/09 18:06 Page 24
news convention preview
ttglive.com
UK Cruise Convention 2009
June 17-19, 2009 ■ Dover
This week’s Ace preview looks at the potentially
Ace’s top tips for selling groups
lucrative area of group bookings. By Lee Hayhurst
1. Check your local area for pre-existing
groups and societies who may want to
Increase your sales
cruise together.
2. Offer customers the extra benefits lines
offer groups, and add your own – such as
by targeting groups
a bottle of champagne or free transfers.
3. For a really personal service, consider
escorting the group yourself.
ACE WILL release new training modules dedi- agents. A lot of our members will escort
cated to help agents sell groups later this year these groups so they are adding that extra bit of 4. Create your own group booking by taking
after the UK Cruise Convention. personal relationship which a lot of the bigger a group allocation on a certain cruise,
The association considers group deals agents companies may not be able to.” and offer it as an “exclusive” product.
are offered by cruise lines as a perfect opportu- The opening afternoon of the convention in
nity to create their own unique product and Dover will feature a session dedicated to groups 5. Don’t ignore the conference and business
compete with the heavy discounters. entitled “Getting the most from groups”. market, as ships offer great facilities.
Most lines will work with agents to give Registered delegates can choose which ses-
preferential rates and commissions on an agreed sions to attend. The groups session is in Stream
number of cabins and a timescale in which they Two, called “Discover new cruise opportunities”.
must be sold. One agent already signed up for the session is
Harness help of
These can either be sold to pre-existing groups Peter Ruck, branch manager of Baldwin Travel in
and societies or to individual customers to Tonbridge, Kent.
group organisers
create a bespoke group. “This is an area we want to grow this year. We
Andy Harmer, business development director do a lot of cruise bookings but not much groups. THE BIGGEST challenge for agents wanting to
at Ace, said: “Proactive agents are working hard “We need to get our name out there. We are sell groups is indentifying them in the first
in this area and there is huge scope for other establishing ourselves as cruise specialists and place, according to Rob Yandell, Group Leisure
agents. the more we get known, the more the opportu- managing editor and publisher.
“Group deals favour smaller independent nity of selling groups becomes apparent.” Yandell, who will host the “Getting the most
from groups” session at June’s conference, said
operators were increasingly looking to break into
the potentially lucrative groups market.
He said for agents the key was to identify the
travel organisers for any local clubs and societies
because they will, in effect, become their agent
selling the cruise to their members.
“A lot of travel organisers will, I’m sure, use
their local travel agent, but the main problem
is identifying them – many will not refer to
themselves as group organisers.
“But once you’ve identified a group organiser,
they could become like an agent for the agent.
“They will go on ships visits and do the donkey
work because they either get a free place or
some form of discount.”
COMING TO DOVER: Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, one of the lines that operates an extensive Booking levels suggested the groups market
groups programme with agents, will showcase Braemar (pictured above in the was holding up in the recession, Yandell added.
Caribbean) at this year’s convention. There will be an optional ship tour for delegates “These are people that love to travel and it
on June 18. To sign up for this year’s convention go to ukcruiseconvention.org takes a lot for them to stop doing that.”
24 06.02.2009
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