2013-01-21 — /travelprnews.com/ — This week sees Orient-Express Trains & Cruises steaming ahead with the launch of a series of brand new product training films. The films, a creative educational tool for travel agents and tour operators worldwide, are intended to provide a 360-degree insight into the Company’s intricate rail and cruise experiences from check-in, the journey on-board, through to disembarkation.
An initial trio of films are being launched this week, with the complete series for the entire portfolio of seven train and cruise products profiled by mid-2013.
Each of the professionally produced films are available in a variety of languages and presented by Orient-Express’ very own stars of the show – everyone from train managers and on-board hosts to stewards – each of whom provide their travel tips and personal insights into products, services and experiences. Each film is ten minutes long and easily accessible via a link on Orient-Express’ YouTube training channel.
The link to the initial three films will be shared with over 100,000 agents and operators worldwide. As there are four products left to film, Orient-Express will be enticing agents to get involved and asking for feedback on the first films, which will be used in the planning and execution of the final four. Agents who provide feedback will be in for the chance to win a starring role in the British Pullman or Northern Belle films, which will be shot in the Spring in the UK.
Kicking off the series and available now on the YouTube channel is the Company’s flagship, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, followed by Afloat in France and the Royal Scotsman. Past comments from customers and agents were taken into consideration so that all those important elements of the journeys such as amenities, luggage space and off board excursions were highlighted.
With a host of exciting new trips lined up for 2013, the films will ensure that all agents have the information they need to be able to comfortably sell each experience. Highlights of 2013 include the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express toot-tooting Allå Ömboord as it prepares to make history with its foray into Stockholm for the first time ever; the Royal Scotsman starting the season off with a wee dram….or two with the launch of its first ever whisky themed trip, and further afield it’s anchors aweigh as final preparations are underway for the launch of Orient-Express’ second river cruiser, Orcaella, in Myanmar. The training film for Orcaella is expected to be shot, with Road To Mandalay, in late Summer.
Gary Franklin, Managing Director Orient-Express Trains & Cruises, spearheaded this project as he felt that “many of the experiences we provide are once-in-lifetime journeys, and as such, it’s vital that our clients’ needs and expectations are being exceeded from the moment of booking”, he goes onto say that “these training films are a big investment for us, but we felt that with all our exciting journeys and news for 2013, now was the right time. They are just another example of how we strive to enhance the service and tools we provide our valuable agents”.
Once the collection of training films is complete, the next step will be to use the same footage to craft a series of seven exciting promotional films aimed directly to consumers. These shorter films will form part of Orient-Express Trains & Cruises next generation websites which will be launched in the Spring. These sites will use responsive web design, which means the site will automatically adapt to multiple devises including ipads and smartphones.
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Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. is a luxury hotel company and sophisticated adventure travel operator which seeks to deliver memorable experiences that are the ultimate expression of each destination’s authentic culture. The Company has offered exceptional luxury travel experiences since 1976, when it purchased Hotel Cipriani in Venice and then shortly thereafter recreated the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, linking London, Paris and Venice, along with other European cities. Today the Orient-Express brand embraces 45 hotel, restaurant, cruise and luxury rail businesses in 22 countries, including distinctive properties such as Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg, Hotel Ritz Madrid, Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro and Maroma Resort and Spa on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. The Company also operates six luxury tourist trains, two river cruise operations and the ‘21’ Club, one of New York’s most iconic restaurants and watering holes. www.orient-express.com
For further information, please contact Anna Nash or Emma Wylde at Orient-Express on 0203 117 1377 or anna.nash@orient-express.com, emma.wylde@orient-express.com