NEWS


-related issues in an ongoing series of T THE RIVER CRUISE WEBCAST


Giles Hawke


Kristin Karst


Laurence Hicks


ravel Weekly video discussions. Here are some highlights THE TOURING WEBCAST


Paul Melinis


Watch these and upcoming T


ravel Weekly webcasts at: travelweekly.co.uk/media


Niel Alobaidi


Andy Harmer


‘Credit notes have to be flexible to avert refunds’ ‘Keep soft marketing to be


F


lexibility of credit notes is “key” to managing rebookings of customers during the coronavirus


pandemic, say river cruise bosses. AmaWaterways’ programme is


on hold until May 31 but is likely to be extended, said co-owner and executive vice-president Kristin Karst. She accepted changing suspension


dates could be frustrating for agents and customers but promised to make another decision “very shortly”. Karst said: “Because the situation


is so fluid, it’s really hard to predict what’s happening in the next few months. However, working with our travel partners one by one, we are very flexible in the options we are giving and extending the FCCs [future cruise credits].” AmaWaterways is among river


cruise lines offering enhancements alongside FCCs. Karst said customers rebooking were given a credit note for 115% of the original booking value, and that bookings could be transferred to friends and family. Agents’ full commission was


protected and they would earn 10% on travelweekly.co.uk


top for the cruise they rebooked, Karst said, adding. “Flexibility is the key.” Avalon Waterways is also offering


enhancements to customers who choose to rebook for travel by the end of 2022, rather than opt for a refund, of the original cruise fare plus £150. Its credit notes are also transferable. Chief executive Giles Hawke said:


“Clearly that’s in our best interests, and those of our partners, but I think it’s in the customers’ best interests as well. They are going to get the holiday they wanted to go on.” Hawke said the proportion of those


opting to rebook, cancel or yet to decide was roughly split three ways. “If people want their money back


we’ll give it to them,” he said. “But we know people will want


to travel again, we know they want to river cruise, so it would be crazy for them not to [take the credit note].” Andy Harmer, senior vice-


president membership and director of cruise trade body Clia in the UK and Ireland, said: “I’ve heard a lot of praise from agents about the support they’ve got from the river cruise operators and that focus on the customer.”


T


our operators should be subtly tapping in to demand from customers thinking about 2021


holidays, according to some leading figures in the sector. While it’s important to be sensitive


to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, bosses say the lockdown is giving people time to plan future travel. APT managing director and Atas


chairman Paul Melinis said: “We need to be delivering inspirational content, but not in a sales-like way.” Asked if the touring sector’s older


demographic represented a bigger challenge, he said: “We know 60 is now 50, 70 is now 60. ‘This [crisis] is going to work in our favour. It’ll give people the chance to think the norm is not the norm, and they might look at doing something different in 2021.” Melinis said online marketing


was “absolutely vital” but should be done subtly through “inspirational content” such as video and social media that was “current, fun and engaging”. He added: “We’ve not stopped in that area and we are still


getting bookings for 2021.” Niel Alobaidi, chief executive


of Newmarket Holidays, whose customers are “almost entirely 55-plus”, said: “Understanding their behaviours after this is pretty critical. But you can’t tar an age group with a brush. We have risk-averse customers who say they’ll never go on holiday again, and gung-ho customers who would go next week if they could. I’m confident we will see a boom at the end of this – the tricky bit is knowing when that will be.” Laurence Hicks, chairman of


touring aggregator TourHound, said: “Customers will want to travel in the future. Keep their appetite there for travel in the future, not in a heavy sales way but in a ‘we are here with you’ way.”


ready for the bounce-back’ Keep their appetite


for travel, not in a heavy sales way but in a ‘we are here with you’ way


9 APRIL 2020


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