TIRUN offers cut & pay real time
After a whirlwind blitz to reach out to its agent partners in various cities and an enhanced commission of 15% for June bookings, TIRUN Travel Marketing is busy launching its own automated payment interface.
To enable quick bookings and payments of cruise packages for agents, TIRUN Travel Marketing – the India representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises– has developed an API (Automated Payment Interface) on its website. Ratna Chadha, CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises, says,
“We have launched the interface on our website. We will soon introduce a payment gateway to this which will enable agents in not just checking real-time inventory and pricing but also booking them and even paying for them immediately.”
She added that TIRUN is also extending the technology to the agents to power their sites as well as feeding them with content to further inspire and educate their clients on social media.
Loyalty goes a long way
TIRUN had recently offered its trade partners enhanced commissions of 15% - up from the regular 10% - for bookings made and paid for before June 30. The commission is for sailings this year or the next year, on any of the three cruise brands it represents – Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.
It is now reaching out to them through a loyalty program. Chadha says, “We will have this in place shortly. All these initiatives are under the 'Agency Appreciation Month' which has become a sort of property for us. Over the years, we have indulged them with extra commission, giveaways and even caricatures of our partners. Essentially, we try and add some value to them, not just in monetary terms.”
TIRUN has recently completed a relationship blitz with agents in various cities including Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Punjab, Mumbai, Pune, Kochi, Indore, Raipur and Nagpur to thank them and also do a product presentation to clarify their doubts.
“Most of our demand comes from Mumbai, Gujarat, Chennai and the northern region including Delhi,” Chadha said. The company had planned an online training program on cruising for agents in association with Asia Cruise Association, which has been temporarily delayed. Currently making news though is the year-long deployment of ‘The Mariner of Seas’ in Singapore from November 2014 onwards till March 2015. TIRUN will start rolling out 3-,4-,5-day itineraries for this along with special Christmas and New York packages. For now, it is reaching out to the wedding and MICE markets – not to forget Bollywood as well.