NEWS


It’s that golden moment at the start of the relationship. You’ve been on a few dates; everything


is new and exciting; magic is in the air. Things couldn’t be going better . . . or so you thought. Seemingly out of nowhere, the messages end and the calls stop. That’s right: you’re being ghosted. This is a scenario no one wants in their


Jamie Loizou MANAGING DIRECTOR, AMAWATERWAYS


Fam trips should be the start of a long-term commitment


personal lives. But have you ever stopped to think if you’re unwittingly creating the professional equivalent of this situation? When we, as cruise lines, welcome our valued agent partners on a ship visit or fam trip, are we following up afterwards to build the relationship further? Or are we, through complacency or lack of communication, stopping short of ensuring that showcasing our product leads to something truly meaningful? It works both ways too. We know agents love being


on board our ships, but we need to know the spark hasn’t gone once they are home and the competing demands of everyday life return. It’s crucial to communicate throughout the partnership, and I’d argue one of the most important times is directly after experiencing the product. Next week, more than


2023 more than 500 agents were hosted on AmaWaterways ships. In fact, I would wager that cruise lines host more agents than any other sector. So why, in many cases, does neither party


benefit as much as they could? Perhaps cruise lines think their work is complete simply by hosting an agent on board. Or perhaps delegates make well- intentioned commitments at a conference or on a fam trip, only to forget about them on their return home – with no hint of a second date on the cards.


Follow-up support We can all do more. Cruise lines can improve by engaging agents and offering ongoing support, be that through providing promotional tools, additional training and incentives or personalised marketing support. Agents invest their time in a conference or fam


“Agents and cruise lines need to ensure next week’s Clia


400 agents will descend on Amsterdam for Clia’s largest- ever RiverView Conference, where delegates will have the opportunity to explore 11 river cruise ships and spend two nights on board. It will be a fascinating few days and comes as the river cruise sector booms both in terms of the number of bookings and the number of agents making them.


Conference opportunities The conference is the perfect opportunity for delegates to learn about the innovation in our exciting sector, meet new contacts and boost their first-hand knowledge of the river ships on display. But is the time and money spent on


fam trips, ship visits and conferences worth the investment? That all depends. None of these activities in isolation sell cruises. Much has been written about the benefits


of experiencing a product, so I won’t dwell on it here, other than to say I believe it plays a vital role in giving agents the knowledge and confidence to clinch those all-important sales. It’s why in


10 7 MARCH 2024


RiverView Conference is more than just a great ‘first date’”


trip, but how can they justify that investment if they don’t reap the rewards through bookings? Those who spend the time arming themselves with the available resources and knowledge to create their river cruise strategy will find it easier to maximise their sales, and ultimately their profitability, when they return home. We each need to take


responsibility to ensure the Clia RiverView Conference is more than a great first date. For a relationship to succeed,


both sides need to be fully invested in making the partnership work. When AmaWaterways hosts agents, we are not looking for a short-term fling. Our goal is to find partners who want a collaborative relationship in the months and years to come . . . we want long-term commitment! And this is where the hard work really begins. In short, it is vital that both sides keep the


dialogue going for the relationship to succeed. With so many of us meeting in Amsterdam next week, we have a fantastic chance to forge new and exciting relationships, each with the potential to blossom and help us grow our businesses in the longer term. What really matters, though, is what happens after we arrive back home.


Read more by our guest columnists: go.travelweekly.co.uk/comment


travelweekly.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56