NEWS ROUND-UP
COMMENT: “Doing the ‘right thing’ is a core way of working at Cosmos and Avalon, and I’m sure other firms are doing similar” Giles Hawke, page 40
IN THE PICTURE: Celebrity honours
Simone Clark, Iglu’s senior vice-president global supply, picked up the top cruise specialist award at Celebrity Cruises’ fourth annual Travel Agent Appreciation Awards last week. More than 40 trade partners attended the event in
London, where 11 prizes were handed out. Trailfinders took home the best high street agency; top consortia went to The Travel Network Group; while The Cruise Village won the rising star award. Claire Stirrup, director of sales, UK and Ireland, said: “Last year was a record-breaking one for us and we couldn’t have done it without the hard work, support and commitment from our agent partners.” Clark, centre, is pictured with Celebrity’s Stirrup, Lisa
Lutoff-Perlo, Dondra Ritzenthaler and Jo Rzymowska. Winners and gallery:
travelweekly.co.uk/news/cruise
Clia boss urges agents to book Vietnam river forum
Harry Kemble
harry.kemble@
travelweekly.co.uk
Clia has urged agents to snap up the remaining 40 places at this year’s Asia River Cruise & Destination Forum in Vietnam.
Two hundred delegates will
travel to Ho Chi Minh City for the first international conference of its kind in the country on April 10-12. Andy Harmer, Clia’s senior
vice-president for membership, revealed Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways’ executive vice- president and co-owner, will speak alongside Peter Kollar, Clia’s head of international training and development, at the event. Agents will hear from both keynote speakers the day after a session of one-to-one meetings on April 10. During the conference agents will stay in cabins across six
ships: Indochine II (CroisiEurope), La Marguerite (APT), AmaDara (AmaWaterways), Tonle Pandaw (Pandaw), Mekong Pandaw (Pandaw) and Avalon Siem Reap (Avalon Waterways).
ASIA RIVER CRUISE: Two-day event is followed by a cruise
Following the conference, for
which Travel Weekly is media partner, delegates will embark on either a three or four-night itinerary along the Mekong River depending on their choice and availability. Harmer said: “It is the first time
ever, to my knowledge, that there has been a travel agent conference in Vietnam, particularly one that has been global. “It is groundbreaking for that
reason. We have got about 20 cabins left.” Harmer, who will moderate the
conference with Travel Weekly’s editor-in-chief, Lucy Huxley, said the conference was likely to
10
travelweekly.co.uk 18 January 2018
sell out at the rate places were currently being booked. He added: “It follows a trend
that specifically shows consumers looking for different river cruise destinations. “It is important agents get to see
different places. “Cruising is a particularly good
way to see the amazing highlights Asia has to offer. “River cruising is a great way
to see the interior of this country. Agents can go back to the UK and talk about the experiences they have had. It is invaluable.” Amy Wright, a marketing
executive at Bedford-based Cruise Select, said she had always found Clia’s conferences “incredibly useful”. “The best way to understand a country is by actually going to it,” she said. “I have been secretly hoping
for Clia to host a river cruise conference in Asia for a while. “River cruising in Asia is something that could appeal to the
younger demographic.”
cruiseexperts.org
Book a place: Asia River Cruise Forum
WHEN? April 10 to 12, 2018
WHERE?
Le Meridien Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
HOW MUCH? £116 for a conference ticket, plus travel
PROGRAMME
Agents can join a pre-fam trip to Singapore organised by the country’s tourist board before joining the conference.
w April 10: One-to-one sessions
w April 11: Keynote speakers include Kristin Karst of AmaWaterways and Clia’s Peter Kollar
w April 12: Agents embark on three or four-night itineraries on either Indochine II (CroisiEurope), La Marguerite (APT), AmaDara (AmaWaterways), Tonle Pandaw (Pandaw), Mekong Pandaw (Pandaw) or Avalon Siem Reap (Avalon Waterways)
cruiseexperts.org
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