TravelMole Interview: Christopher Elliott about online cruise sales
TravelMole Interview: Christopher Elliott, travel commentator Online cruise sales sites are getting more user-friendly all the time, but the common suggestion that agents should sell harder is not a real solution, according to well-known travel commentator Christopher Elliott. He discussed some alternatives with TravelMole. “The traditional wisdom used to be that booking cruises was too complex for the Web,” he said. “Travel agents also touted the ‘personal touch’ since they’re often cruise veterans. Mr Elliott makes the point that the cruise selling field is fairly level. “That is, the big cruise lines haven’t allowed online sellers to move to a merchant model, which would give them an unfair advantage over cruise agents,” he said. At the same time, however, it’s clear online sales are becoming much more sophisticated and user-friendly. Mr Elliott also points out that two major online travel agencies – Expedia and Travel city – have also launched cruise sites. As it gets easier to buy tickets, he said, nearly one in ten cruise passengers now book on-line – up from just 6% a year ago. “Agents can’t just try to ‘sell harder,’ which I keep reading in the trades,” he said. Mr Elliott’s suggestion:” Why shouldn’t agents leverage some of these technologies to their advantage as well? Cruise buyers like to see the 360-views of the ships. Why shouldn’t a brick-and-mortar retailers also offer that type of technology?” Mr Elliott’s prediction is that despite more competitors, traditional agents will continue to be important sellers of cruises in the future. One major reason he cited is that despite a trend towards self-booking, some travelers find nasty surprises such as discovering a “discount” rate did not include fees, or taxes or surcharges, of all of those.
David
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 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt