NEWS -day networking event on Uniworld’s Joie de Vivre. Robin Murray reports from Paris


Townson eyes second event after ‘fantastic’ feedback


A ...and in Paris


gents who attended the Ultra-Luxury Cruise Showcase will now have the knowledge to “make the right choices for their customers”, according to Uniworld’s Chris Townson.


The first event of its kind took place on board the


line’s Joie de Vivre ship in Paris on March 24-26. Nine luxury operators – Aqua Expeditions, Explora


Journeys, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Luxury Gold, Ponant, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, Silversea Cruises and Uniworld – showcased their products to almost 100 agents on the two-night sailing on the Seine. Townson hailed the inaugural networking event, which


was organised in partnership with Clia UK & Ireland. “The feedback from agents and suppliers has been


fantastic,” he said. “We made sure we had the right agents and the right partners on board to create an immersive experience that will enable the trade to make the right choices for their customers. “In two days they’ve not only experienced river cruising


and had a first-hand taste of what Uniworld is all about, but also immersed themselves in our luxury cruise partners.” Townson is confident the event will lead to increased


sales for Uniworld and the ocean cruise lines in attendance. And he revealed discussions had already begun about a


Travel Counsellors ‘totally invested’


Travel Counsellors agents were left “inspired” about river cruises after spending time on board Joie de Vivre. Forty-five of the agency’s homeworkers (pictured)


who had completed the Cruise Ambassador training programme boarded the ship for a one-night cruise, a day before the Ultra-Luxury Cruise Showcase began. Janet Whittington, head of cruise at Travel Counsellors,


said: “They came away totally invested in Uniworld’s product and inspired by what river cruise can offer. “River cruising is a


key part of our focus, especially in the luxury sector. I believe the experience for these travel counsellors will lead to an increase in our river sales for Uniworld, with a halo affect for river in general.”


second showcase, with last month’s event having “created a space” that did not previously exist. “In the ultra-luxury sector there wasn’t [previously] a


space for us to showcase our products to a targeted group of agents and partners – we’ve created that space,” he added. “When we do this sort of thing we know we get the desired


results. We did something similar with a specific partner in November and the returns have been astronomical.”


Clia hails event as ‘great opportunity’ for agents


Clia said it was confident the event would enhance the trade’s understanding of ultra-luxury products. Craig Forsyth, who works


for the association’s sales and marketing teams, joined the three-day sailing to update agents on Clia’s latest developments, including the launch of its sustainability toolkit and RiverView Program. Speaking to Travel Weekly, Forsyth said:


“This unique event was a great opportunity for agents already selling ultra-luxury products and for those wanting to gain a foothold in this sector to meet with a range of suppliers and hear all the latest brand


travelweekly.co.uk Craig Forsyth


news and product updates. “Agents took full


advantage of the presentations and enjoyed the chance to speak with the suppliers throughout the event, while enjoying the luxury surroundings and service on board Uniworld’s beautiful Joie de Vivre.


“Enhanced product knowledge and new


supplier contacts can only help agents offer a wider selection of products to their clients and hopefully lead to increased sales.” Forsyth hailed an “exciting period” for


the sector, citing ships due to launch in the coming year including Silver Nova, Seven Seas Grandeur, Explora I and Seabourn Pursuit.


6 APRIL 2023 9 Chris Townson


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