Expedition Cruise Network to plan ship visits and fam trips

New trade body highlights "Travel agency sales are the most important avenue for expedition cruise lines. One ECN member has 80% of sales coming from agents. Cruise operators really want to work with the trade to develop their sales."

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Johnson said matching the right type of client to the right cruise line and ship is key, so knowledge and training are important.

 

Commenting on ship visits and fam trips, he said: "There will definitely be opportunities to experience the product." Though he pointed out that fam trips can sometimes be tricky as expedition voyages can be longer than in mainstream cruising, and that ship visits are a useful alternative for agents to get on board.

 

Johnson hopes to reach 500 trade members soon then eventually 1,000. About half of the trade professionals "Hopefully the travel trade can see it is very lucrative area of the market," he added, highlighting that the starting prices of expedition cruises are about US$6,250 per person, while the average booking value is more than US$12,500.

 

For more information, visit www.expeditioncruisenetwork.com