Cruise industry dazzles

THE team from Western Australia’s Bicton Travel were all smiles on Sat night, taking home their sixth Gold Agency of the Year award at Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia’s Annual Cruise Awards in Sydney.

In addition, Bicton founder Carole Smethurst was inducted into the CLIA Hall of Fame.

Bicton Travel was joined on the winner’s podium by Phil Hoffmann Travel Glenelg, who took out the Silver Award, while Cruiseabout Kew won Bronze.

Also in the line up, Pukekohe Travel won the NZ Gold Agency of the Year award for the second time in three years, while Manager Gail Littin also claimed the mantle of NZ Cruise Consultant of the Year.

House of Travel Orewa was awarded Silver and Cruiseabout Parnell was named New Zealand’s Bronze Agency of the Year.

The first inaugural Australasian Plan a Cruise Month Agency promotion award went home with New Zealand’s Bon Voyage Cruises & Travel and CLIA Australasia chairman Steve Odell presented a posthumous award to the late James Patrick from Wiltrans International for his contribution to the Australasian cruise industry.

“2016 has been a milestone year for us because in May we announced the million mark milestone for the number of Australians cruising,” Odell said.

He also paid tribute to CLIA Australasia’s outgoing commercial director, Brett Jardine, who Odell thanked for his “integral role in the organisation in the past decade”.

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