NEWS ROUND-UP
COMMENT: “Holidays continue to be an important freedom for most UK holidaymakers” Alistair Rennie, page 32
Agents wary of impact of new Princess TV series
Hollie-Rae Merrick
hollie@travelweekly.co.uk
A six-part ITV documentary filmed on board Princess Cruises’ newest ship has been welcomed by the trade, although some remain wary of the impact it could have on attracting new customers.
The Cruise, which will first air in
March, was filmed on board Regal Princess on sailings between Copenhagen and St Petersburg. It is the second time Princess
Cruises will feature on prime-time TV, following a similar fly-on-the- wall style series in summer 2014. That series, The Cruise Ship,
received mixed feedback from agents. Some said the show played up the stereotypes of cruising, while others said it was too personality focused. Cruise Nation owner Phil Evans
said he was unsure whether the new show would help to attract a new market. “The last series showed the
typical stereotypes people have of cruising,” he said. “It didn’t help break down any boundaries. We will have to wait to see the show, but I’m not sure it will help to
Tripashore to give away 5,000 cruise tours to agents
Tripashore has unveiled a competition giving away £250,000 worth of cruise tours. The shore excursions
WIN!
provider, which launches this month, is giving away 5,000 tours. Agents will earn a tour for every booking made between
CRAIG JEFFS: ‘Strong response’
December 17 and the end of February. Head of sales Craig Jeffs said: “We wanted to launch with an
10
travelweekly.co.uk 10 December 2015 REGAL PRINCESS : Filming took place over 45 days in the Baltic Sea
“Anything that puts the spotlight on cruise is a good thing for the industry”
attract the new-to-cruise audience, which is what we should be doing.” But Seamus Conlon, managing
director of
Cruise.co.uk, welcomed the new series. “Anything that puts the spotlight
on cruise is a good thing for the industry,” he said. Jetline Travel managing director
Steven Roberts said: “The preview clip we’ve seen looks positive, so hopefully the series will have a good effect for everyone.” The line’s vice-president, Tony
Roberts, said as the show was the work of a different production team, it was new, rather than a follow-up. He said it would reflect Princess’s “premium offering”. “We expect to see greater
awareness and also hope to see a boost in bookings,” added Roberts. When the series airs, Princess
will tailor its agent training to reflect the aspects of cruising that feature in the documentary.
offer that focuses on the cruise sellers themselves, by giving them a free tour so that they can experience a Tripashore product. “This tour can be used for
up to two years after the booking is made. “We have had a strong initial
response from travel agents to our cruise tour product.” To claim a cruise tour, agents
should register bookings at
bit.ly/tripashore
NEWS IN BRIEF
Cruise.co.uk ranks 54th in Sunday Times Fast Track 100
Cruise.co.uk is the only travel firm to feature in the latest Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list of private companies with the fastest-growing sales. The Redditch-based company is ranked 54th, having notched up average sales growth of 60.5% over the past three years.
Cruise Nation recruits ex-Affordable boss Kendal
Cruise Nation has recruited former Affordable Car Hire managing director Andrea Kendal as business development and commercial director. She will oversee planned international expansion.
Eurostar chief Petrovic awarded Legion of Honour
Eurostar chief executive Nicolas Petrovic has been awarded the Legion of Honour at a ceremony in Paris. The order is the highest decoration in France.
Holiday Extras acts on feedback about sales team
Holiday Extras has restructured its sales team following trade feedback. Ashley Close has been promoted to head of travel insurance partnerships and Paul Paddock becomes head of commercial travel insurance. Louise Bates and Stuart Cowell retain their roles as partnership development managers.
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