Washington DC, 2016-Aug-05 — /Travel PR News/ — Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) released today the third Travel Agent Cruise Industry Outlook Report of 2016, revealing that as the demand for cruising continues to grow, travel agents are playing an increasingly important role in the consumer travel process. The report is the third installment in an ongoing quarterly research study from CLIA, designed to forecast trends in the cruise industry among the travel agent community.
“The Travel Agent Cruise Industry Outlook enables us to identify key trends using the insights of travel agents,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA. “A key finding from the report is that, as people continue to travel the globe, travel agents are playing a vital role in matching travelers desires to the right cruise experience both near and far.”
Key findings from the third Travel Agent Cruise Industry Outlook Report of 2016 include:
Cruises Continue to Gain Popularity
According to the report, cruise travel continues to be popular among all types of travelers across all cruise segments. Of these, river cruising shows the most growth with six out of ten (64 percent) travel agents expecting to sell more river cruise packages this year and 21 percent expecting to see significant growth in river cruise sales. Aside from river cruising, more than half (54 percent) of travel agents expected to see growth in the large ocean ship segment.
Strong Sales
The report found that continued cruise popularity also brings in steady sales growth. Nearly three out of four (73 percent) travel agents expect increased sales this year while 15 percent expect no change. To bolster this finding, 27 percent of those travel agents are anticipating sales increases of ten percent or higher. The steady rise in sales speaks volumes to the vital role of travel agents in the consumer travel experience.
Luxury and Inclusivity
Travel agents participating in the report also stated that clients are looking for all-inclusive cruising options, especially on luxury cruises. Two-thirds (66 percent) of agents said that all-inclusive options were very important for their clients booking luxury cruises followed by 58 percent reporting that luxury cruise clients most valued a unique travel destination.
Travel professionals in the cruise industry, can have their voice heard by joining the CLIA Travel Agent Research Panel. To join, email cliaresearchpanel@cruising.org.
The full report is available at: http://www.cruising.org/TA-Outlook.
About the Travel Agent Cruise Industry Outlook
The CLIA Travel Agent Cruise Industry Outlook report is a quarterly study conducted by CLIA. The data and research are compiled based on online survey responses from the CLIA Travel Agent Research Panel, which consists of 700 travel agents from North America. The survey was conducted in July.
About Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) – One Industry, One Voice
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice and leading authority of the global cruise community. The association has 15 offices globally with representation in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australasia. CLIA supports policies and practices that foster a safe, secure, healthy and sustainable cruise ship environment for the more than 23 million passengers who cruise annually and is dedicated to promote the cruise travel experience. Members are comprised of the world’s most prestigious ocean, river and specialty cruise lines; a highly trained and certified travel agent community; and cruise line suppliers and partners, including ports & destinations, ship development, suppliers and business services. The organization’s mission is to be the unified global organization that helps its members succeed by advocating, educating and promoting for the common interests of the cruise community. For more information, visit www.cruising.org or follow Cruise Lines International Association on CLIA Facebook and Twitter pages.
Press Contacts
Travel Industry & Marketing
Sarah Kennedy – Manager, Public Relations & Marketing
Tel: 202-759-9313 | Cell: 703-628-7389
skennedy@cruising.org
Industry Policies/Regulatory & Legislative Issues
Elinore Boeke – Director, Public Affairs
Tel: 202-759-6773 | Cell: 703-209-9155
eboeke@cruising.org
SOURCE: Cruise Lines International Association