Select focuses on Cruise

TRAVEL agency members of Express Travel Group’s (ETG) Select brand are showing strong growth in their cruise sales, with the company now engaging even more closely with The Travel Corporation’s Creative Cruising as a key wholesale partner.

Speaking at the conference, Creative Cruising NSW/ACT sales manager Susie Goumas highlighted the range of product on offer to members, with most delegates receiving new logins to the Creative platform.

Goumas highlighted the Creative Cruising offering which combines a wide range of cruise product with accommodation and TTC wholesale airfares, and the company prides itself on exceptional customer service.

Interestingly for the Select members, Creative Cruising also has Mandarin and Cantonese consultants in its call centre, and Select agents booking via Creative Cruising also earn Express Rewards loyalty points.

Call wait times are significantly shorter than other suppliers, Goumas claimed, and Creative also offers a full online booking portal for the travel industry.

Another key cruise partner for ETG is Royal Caribbean, with a session at the conference featuring RCI sales chief Peter McCormack who gave an overview of the cruise industry and its rapid ongoing growth.

McCormack said year-to-date in 2017 Select Travel Group members were showing a 24% increase in new RCI bookings, with departed sales up 30% and 2018 sales already 21% ahead.

He told CW the strong results were pleasing given that Royal Caribbean had engaged closely with the Express Travel Group for a number of years.