NEWS
MAD FOR IT: Tipto hosted its 11th annual afternoon tea and revealed plans to run more events than ever this year. Sixty agents and Tipto suppliers attended a Mad Hatters tea party at the Sanderson Hotel, London. At the event, chairman Nick Hughes announced the supplier marketing body would hold 22 roadshows before the end of June, plus two SuperShows. Tipto is also planning two new invitation-only events in partnership with Ambassador Cruise Line, and two summer race days. Hughes said: “Attendance at our roadshows is better than ever, with 60 agents per event so far this year.” Tipto recently announced RateHawk and Exoticca as new members. Agents and suppliers are pictured at the afternoon tea with Lorna Willis-Edwards (back right), managing director of Spirit Marketing & Events, which runs Tipto’s events.
Wave sales slow to ignite for some but momentum continues to grow
Ella Sagar
The trade has painted a mixed picture for the cruise sector’s wave period with some agencies reporting a slower-than-expected start to the year. Restricted availability for selected
2025 cruises, a delayed return to work after the new year and competing promotions among cruise lines have impacted conversion rates and pricing, according to some. Vim Vithaldas, director
at The Travel Network Group, said the consortium’s cruise sales were up 15% year on year, but that the first week of the year was “slow” before sales picked up in the subsequent two weeks. Vithaldas said luxury and
expedition sales were “slightly slower” than last year but he anticipated a spike after payday at the end of the month. “As we approach payday, everyone is expecting great conversion on
travelweekly.co.uk
those enquiries out there,” he added. He stressed availability for
this year was “a challenge” and predicted this summer’s lates season could “become an issue”. Jonny Peat, senior commercial
STORY TOP
manager for cruise at The Advantage Travel Partnership, painted a similar picture. He said: “It was a softer start overall for cruise [this year] compared with 2024, but our business has built week on week and the volume players traded really strongly over the weekend, ahead of the same weekend last year.” Peat also anticipated payday
weekend would lead to a surge in sales in February, based on trends in previous years. He added the luxury sector was
“the anomaly”, with enquiries and conversions “much stronger” than previous years due to campaigns launched before Christmas.
Mainstream cruise sales for May,
June and July were tracking ahead of last year “in lots of instances”, said Peat, while Caribbean 2026 departures were “outperforming” the same period last year. Alison Earnshaw, managing
director at Cruise118 parent World Travel Holdings UK, said: “It is a bit slower than I expected, but it is building each week, so I am confident that by the end of the month we will be where we expected to be.” She said cruise lines’ strong
sold position meant there were fewer ex-UK sailings available, particularly for 2025. Earnshaw said the later-than-usual
return to work and school for many on January 6 was partly to blame for the slower sales, as it “took longer for people to get into a routine”. She also described discounting levels as “higher than we would like”, which she said
could be due to sales “not being as buoyant as expected”. Other agencies reported steadier
cruise sales since the turn of the year. Tricia Handley-Hughes, InteleTravel UK and Ireland managing director, said the agency’s greater focus on cruise had led to a 79% year-on-year increase in bookings and an 83% rise in revenue, with the sector now accounting for 20% of total sales. Paul Hardwick, head of retail at
Fred Olsen Travel, hailed an 11% rise in cruise revenue through its shops for the first four weeks of 2025. He predicted its franchise agency,
GoCruise & Travel, would also finish the month ahead of last year, based on the first three weeks of trading. Iglu Cruise chief commercial
officer Dave Mills said: “We’re really pleased with January trading so far and seeing healthy growth versus last year.” He added there was “growth
for all areas of cruising”, noting trends in small-ship luxury, remote destinations and ‘coolcations’.
23 JANUARY 2025 5
PICTURE: Michael Newington Gray
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