CLIA chooses ‘Cruise Heroes’ as 2020 conference theme
CLIA UK & Ireland has revealed the theme its 2020 conference will be ‘Cruise Heroes’ to celebrate the cruise industry community.
The three-day event will take place in Southampton from April 26 to 28. It will be the largest travel agent conference in the UK, with more than 700 delegates expected.
UK and Ireland director Andy Harmer (above) said: "We are an industry that revolves around our people – from those who continuously strive to offer exceptional service on every ship, every day – to those working shore side in ports, in offices and of course the travel agents themselves.
"We are proud to be part of a community that is always supportive of one another and passionate about the industry we work in. We look forward to celebrating the people who make the cruise holiday experience so special."
The annual CLIA Conference will include a trade fair, a full day of conference sessions and a gala dinner.
Delegates will visit two cruise ships in port for the event: P&O Cruises’ Britannia and MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia.
CLIA travel agent members can register for a space at the CLIA conference at cruiseexperts.org/clia-agents/uk-ireland-events/
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
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025