07 April 2009

US agents Ã¢â¬ËœoptimisticÃ¢â¬â¢ about cruise sales

Travel agents in America remain optimistic about cruise sales despite lingering economic uncertainty.

A survey by US industry body Cruise Lines International Association found that although lower priced cruises represent the majority of sales, travellers also show signs of willingness to spend.

The online poll, which attracted 1,000 responses, found that a majority of agents were optimistic that overall 2009 will be the same or better in terms of cruise bookings and revenue.

The results, covering the peak January to March ‘Wave’ booking period, largely confirmed cruise lines' positive outlook that the industry is well positioned to weather the economic storm and will continue to see growth, according to CLIA.

The survey found that 66.2% of agents in the US predicted that overall cruise revenues for 2009 will be the same or better than 2008, with 29.6% expecting somewhat better revenues this year.

Almost 70% of agents expected overall bookings this year to be the same or better, with 31% expecting somewhat better bookings in 2009.

Among the top motivating factors for consumers for booking a cruise were special offers (32.7%), good pricing (29.4%) and good value (23%).

For a quarter of agents in the US, the average price of cruises sold was $1,000-$1,500 during Wave Season; for 23.2% of respondents, the average price was $751-$999; with 7.6% reporting average prices of cruises sold to be less than $500.

CLIA president and CEO Terry Dale said: "Given the exceptional economic environment we find ourselves in, these survey results should be taken as good news.

"They show every indication that consumers are responding to the value offered by cruise vacations and to the many incentives offered by CLIA member cruise lines.

"What is particularly significant is that travel agents are relatively optimistic not only about cruise booking volumes but about revenues in 2009 as well.

"This suggests that they believe the industry's pricing and marketing strategies will compensate for and even overcome the conditions that have lowered consumer confidence in other business sectors, such as retail and residential real estate."

by Phil Davies