04 July 2008

Website offers agents 'new route to cruise sales'

A website has been created to bring consumers looking for the best cruise deals together with agents wanting to sell cruises.

Cruisepricescompared.com is a free route to market for agents struggling to sell discounted cruises at a profit, claims founder and former cruise agent Harley Van Straten.

The biggest issue for cruise agents today is the cost of sale, according to Van Straten.

ââ¬ÅâœAgents have to give away their commission to stay competitive on price ââ¬' and that means they canââ¬â¢t afford to advertise the cruise in the first place,ââ¬~ said Van Straten, previously with Voyana.
 
ââ¬ÅâœAgents will be familiar with this scenario - you have a great cruise offer but it costs several hundred pounds to advertise it to customers. When you do place an advert, the customer rings a couple of other agents to compare ââ¬' and they can afford to undercut you because they havenââ¬â¢t had to pay for the initial advertisement.ââ¬~
 
The website will derive its income from selling banner and button advertising on the site to cruise lines.

ââ¬ÅâœWe will make our money from the cruise lines ââ¬' enabling us to advertise the site to consumers, driving more visitors to cruisepricescompared.com,ââ¬~ he said.

Agents must register once, with their ABTA or TTA membership reference and contact details to access the site.
 
ââ¬ÅâœEach cruise takes less than 30 seconds to enter the basic details of departure date/duration, cruise line, ship name and price. The more cruises listed, the more choice there is for the consumer and the more visits the website will receive,ââ¬~ Van Straten said.
ââ¬ÅâœCruise lines have tens of thousands of cabins to sell. They need agents to reach potential customers. Until recently, agents could afford joint advertising campaigns because the margins were big enough to cover those costs.

ââ¬ÅâœNow, there is so much pressure on price that fewer agents are prepared to advertise ââ¬' and that is making the cruise lines nervous, because they are losing their main distribution channel.
 
ââ¬ÅâœCruisepricescompared.com enables agents to reach the consumer at zero cost, so agents can sell more cruises, which keeps the cruise lines happy.ââ¬~

by Phil Davies

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