More cruising online?

CRUISE sellers are being urged to increase their online presence and adopt a comprehensive cruise booking platform, according to a recent report.

The recommendations were contained in Odysseus Solutions’ new white paper called The Digi za on of Cruise Bookings, which examined the need for agents to combine online research with agent expertise.

The report’s author Norm Rose, president of US-based Travel Tech Consulting, says that while the cruise industry is less dependent on online sales than most travel sectors ( just under 20% in the US during 2017) cruise clients still spend hours online researching their trip.

“It may sound counter-intuitive to some traditional agents who want to keep the booking offline but allowing the consumer to plan online with an agencysponsored cruise booking tool may represent one of the most important ways to integrate online & offline,” Rose said.

“Clearly there is a need to integrate online research with offline expertise,” he added.

The white paper also suggests that mobile technology will continue to exert even greater influence over the booking process in the future.

“Integrating the online and offline experience is critical since many consumers will switch between various devices as they research and eventually purchase their travel,” said Odysseus Solutions chief executive officer Monish Luthra.

To read the white paper in full, CLICK HERE.