CONFERENCE Clia Conference 2023: The three-day Cruise Heroes-themed event showcased


Clia launches ‘biggest-ever’ trade engagement campaign


C


lia has unveiled its “biggest-ever” trade engagement campaign for the next 12 months,


as well as the location of next year’s RiverView Conference. Regional ship visits for agents


across the UK and Ireland have been arranged in partnership with several cruise lines. All visits will take place in


August and will include updates from industry leaders, a tour and complimentary lunch. Agents will be able to go on board Seabourn Quest, NorwegianDawn, Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam, Crystal Serenity and Oceania Cruises’ Vista. A residential trip to Porto will be


held in autumn in partnership with Visit Porto & the North. All delegates will be hosted on Norwegian Prima as part of the event, with additional ship visit options on Seabourn Ovation and some river cruise vessels.


Our programme


of events recognises people like to learn, engage and network in different ways


The Portugal trip, scheduled for


September 28-29, will also feature a series of sessions with destination experts and the opportunity to join local tours and excursions. In addition, the association


will host specialist cruise webinars covering Europe and worldwide river cruising, as well as the luxury, expedition and yachting sectors. They will take place in June, September and October. This year’s Clia Cruise Week will


take place from September 18-24. Next year’s RiverView Conference


will be held in Amsterdam, with dates yet to be confirmed. Clia managing director UK &


Ireland Andy Harmer said: “We’re so excited to announce our superhero- charged programme of events, with the widest-ever choice of ship visits, domestic and overseas events and virtual training opportunities. “This approach recognises people


like to learn, engage and network in different ways. “It also recognises agents have a


range of requirements, from those who like to focus on certain sectors, such as expedition and river cruise, to those who want to explore ships, to those who want to be inspired by experts, to those who have just started their cruise selling journey. “We are encouraging all agents


to take advantage of this wealth of opportunities as cruise continues to


go from strength to strength.” i News You Can Use, page 20


Marine biologist Monty Halls


Conference moderators Lucy Huxley, Travel Weekly, and Andy Harmer, Clia


WAS IT A GOOD CONFERENCE?


Seb Nalden, Iglu Cruise “It has been a really good conference


with wonderful entertainment and a great vibe. This is my first Clia conference and I’ve loved the ship visits and I will 100% take lots of stuff away with me to help sales. It has been so beneficial and a really nice mix of newbies and people with experience all coming together.”


Trevor Ridler, Fred Olsen Travel “It has been very good. It’s the first


time we’ve been given a choice of ship visits and that’s been a really nice thing to include. With 65% of the attendees being new to cruise, it has been extremely helpful to have so many ships here. Ade Adepitan’s speech was also phenomenal – he was truly inspiring.”


Kirsty Van Wyk, Travel Village Group “The trade fair was really useful because


it had more suppliers than last year and it lasted three-and-a-half hours, which meant I had enough time to walk around and have a proper conversation with each of them. It was also great for me to get on board Celebrity Silhouette so I could compare it to the Edge-class ships.”


‘Expedition is best way to attract non-cruisers’


Expedition cruising is the best way to get customers who have never cruised before to try their first sailing, Silversea’s president and chief executive told agents. Barbara Muckermann encouraged


delegates to focus on the destination when selling a luxury cruise, as that is the “most important element” passengers are looking for when they book. “Expedition cruising is the best way to get


a non-cruiser to start cruising because they are thinking about the destination,” she said. “And if they want to go to some destinations, such as Antarctica, then they need a ship.


14 18 MAY 2023 travelweekly.co.uk


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