Cruise industry must ‘work together’ to boost sales

Simplifying the booking process is key to unlocking the potential of the cruise market, Amadeus has claimed.

The GDS said moving bookings from a telephone based to automated system enables agents to sell quickly and efficiently. The industy must work together to achieve the aim, the company said. 

Speaking at its cruise industry forum in Brighton, Amadeus cruise global sales manager Robert Chamberlain said their own sales soared by 94% in 2004 and 150% this year after simplifying the process to provide real-time reservations information.

“Three years ago about 25% of cruise bookings were automated now that figure is closer to 45% to 50%,” he added.

Director of the Passenger Shipping Association Bill Gibbons told the forum the potential size of the UK market was 7.7 million holidays.

“The potential in Europe is absolutely enormous,” he said.