CLIA announces Plan A Cruise Month
CLIA is planning to extend National Cruise Week into a month-long campaign in October.
President and CEO Cindy D’Aoust said the association’s cruiseline members would be supporting Plan A Cruise month and agents would be provided with promotional material
While declining to reveal further details at this stage, she told agents attending the CLIA UK conference in Southampton this week that the promotion would be ‘more robust’ than in the past.
"We are pretty excited about this," she told delegates, "you will be given the tools to build social marketing campaigns."
D’Aoust said that despite the rapid growth of the cruise market, it still only accounts for 2% of global travel.
"We can grow and absolutely we can fill the ships [under construction]," she said.
CLIA UK & Ireland chair Stuart Leven said Brexit posed the biggest challenge to growth, particularly with regard to the free movement of UK tourists, staff and goods – including ships’ supplies – within the EU.
He said CLIA UK was working with the Government towards agreements with the EU, adding: "We will get the deals done, but it will take some time."
Leven pointed out that next year clients would be booking for trips in 2019, by which time the UK will be outside the EU.
He said this would create concerns, including uncertainty about the possible need for UK citizens to obtain visas to travel within the EU.
"We will need to reassure customers that it is business as usual," he said.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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