NEWS ROUND-UP


Avalon vows to host more fams as Envision sets sail


Erica Bush in Budapest erica.bush@travelweekly.co.uk


Avalon Waterways revealed plans to “host multiple fam trips” this year as it launched its 13th ship in Europe.


Speaking at Avalon Envision’s


christening last weekend, managing director Pam Hoffee said the line would offer the fam trips after expanding its trade sales team last year. It recruited three regional sales managers and a new business manager. She said: “The trade is a really important piece of our business and we weren’t supporting them enough. “We’re hosting multiple fams on


Avalon ships this year so agents and advisors can really get to know the Avalon brand. “We have a lot in place to help


agents know our brand and be able to recommend us to their clients with more confidence.” The fam trips will be across


three ships on the Active & Discovery routes, which sail on the Rhone, Rhine and Danube rivers. The all-suite Avalon Envision


will sail between Budapest and uremburg this year.


Advantage makes April ‘touring month’ with Atas support


The Advantage Travel Partnership has launched i fir ouring on working with members of the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers to promote the growing sector. The consortium is offering its


Dublin Port plans to ramp up cruise calls to 200 in 2026


Dublin Port has revealed its capacity for cruise calls will rise to 150 a year in 2024-25 and more than 200 in 2025-26. The port last month alarmed


cruise lines and Ireland tourism ofiial en i announed i would be cutting cruise calls in half from 160 to 80 and stopping turnaround cruises altogether from 2021. It said the decision was to


accommodate the site’s cargo business post-Brexit. e por a onfired


AVALON ENVISION: Ship will be able to cope with low water levels


“The trade is a really important piece of our business and we weren’t supporting them enough”


The cruise line revealed how new custom-made features on the ship will help overcome high and low water on the Danube, which were at record levels last year. Hoffee said: “There are some unique features that will help us


agents information, incentives, promotional material and special offers throughout April. There are also details of fam


trip places and consumer offers for members’ customers. Head of commercial John


Sullivan said: “We see touring as the next big thing and oug e ould be e fir consortium to get behind it. “Some members are very


engaged with the touring sector, but others may be more


12travelweekly.co.uk11 April 2019


TOURING: Promotional material is available to Advantage members


in low and high water situations – new ballast tanks will allow us to change the draft of the ship in a more efficient way. “This ship was purposefully placed on our Nuremburg route because the [trickiest] part of the river is between Passau and Regensburg. “That will help us a lot; that little


section won’t be such a challenge.” The new ballast tanks sit alongside freshwater and gas tanks, which allow Avalon Envision to increase or decrease its water draft more significantly.


that after the construction of a 400-metre quay wall, cruise calls would increase from 2024, according to a document handed to the Irish government by the port. Clia Europe said talks with Dublin Port were ongoing as it tries to convince authorities to abandon plans to ban turnaround cruise calls from 2021.


aryn rifi direor o public affairs at Clia Europe, said: “We are working with the cruise community in Ireland and the Irish government because it will have a knock-on effect across the country. “A lot of work is going on


by the cruise lines and by Clia and we are happy to see things moving in the right direction.” › Cruise News, page 21


reticent, so we want to help,” he said. “This year is a challenge,


but outside the mass market, sectors such as cruising, long-haul and touring are still seeing good growth.” Victoria Jones, commercial


account manager at Advantage, said members were “really engaged” and several were organising special events and requesting more material for their agencies.


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