The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) opened its eighth annual cruise3sixty conference in Fort Lauderdale with about 1,200 agents included in the nearly 2,000 attendees. A main theme of the event is elevating the role of the travel retailer from “travel agent” to “travel advisor.” CLIA distributed an eight-page report on the topic to attendees at the first general session on April 27.
CLIA President and CEO Christine Duffy opened the conference by reinforcing the importance that travel agents play in the continuing success of the cruise industry. “Thank you on behalf of the CLIA cruise line members for the role you play and will continue to play in our collective future,” she said.
Duffy also pointed out that the role of agents was especially important and visible after the Jan. 13 sinking of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy. “Travel agents served as a trusted voice to reassure the traveling public that cruising is and will continue to be one of the safest vacation choices,” she said.
The new report, titled “From Travel Agent to Travel Advisor: Defining, Elevating and Promoting the Role of Travel Agents for the Next Generation,” examines how the role of agents has changed over the years. Despite the public perception that the travel agent industry is in decline, in 2011 it processed $95 billion in travel sales, accounting for one-third of all travel sold, according to PhoCusWright. That is projected to grow to $100 billion by the end of 2013.
The 2012 sales figures include 45 percent of all airline tickets, 67 percent of tours and 68 percent of cruises. In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts growth in the travel agent workforce, which is poised to increase about 10 percent between 2010 and 2020, on par with the average predicted overall for U.S. job growth. For a full copy of the report, click on CLIA Travel Agent Report.
“Our aim in outlining this case is to begin a meaningful, industry-wide dialogue that articulates the unique role agents play in today’s travel industry and considers the steps necessary to develop a strategic roadmap for developing the next generation of travel agents,” Duffy said. “The travel agent profession is critical to the entire travel industry, yet we have not taken a comprehensive look at its value or considered a coordinated industry dialogue until now.”
Duffy also moderated a panel that included Tony Gonchar, CEO of the ASTA; Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association; and Will Seccombe, chief marketing officer of Visit Florida. “I’d say the number one piece of advice is to give your clients something they can’t Google,” Gonchar said. “Provide value that is extraordinary.”
Keeping in mind the fallout from the Costa Concordia accident, which killed 32 people, CLIA also distributed a tool kit that provides agents with advice on how to deal with consumer concerns about the industry’s safety record as well as noro-virus and other important information. Finally, CLIA also unveiled plans for the 2013 cruise3sixty, which will be held June 19-23 in Vancouver.
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