Forbes cited that due to the health crises; travelers are seeking once-in-a-lifetime experiences. This was further echoed in the supplier presentations. The suppliers explained that all-inclusive amenities, gourmet food, and big, luxurious cabins are the most important decisions for travelers when they consider luxury cruise products. Attendees were enlightened about the factors that can sway clients. These include bucket list destinations and itineraries, the experience and reputation of the cruise line, and the recommendation of the travel advisor.
“We wanted to set the tone with the latest luxury trends. They paint a clear picture that clients are turning to travel advisors for their expertise,” said Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager for Dream Vacations/CruiseOne. “We understand that innovation, customization, and consumer insights are key when growing a small business, and at our Luxury Summit, we made sure to address relevant best practices and equip our travel advisors with the latest tools, assets, and content to help them generate new leads, and retain loyal customers.”
Dream Vacations/CruiseOne also unveiled a new program at the summit, giving franchise owners more ways to stay in front of their new and existing customers. Travel advisors now have access to In Country Partners. The program gives agents access to local tour companies in the destination they are booking. These destination management companies bring value by being locals, people that live and work in the location, and bring a wealth of knowledge to the vacation experience.
In addition, the Marketing Team compiled a robust directory of luxury suppliers’ marketing portals, providing agents who want to market luxury products a one-stop shop. These portals provide varying assets such as social media, email, video, etc. which agents can incorporate into custom marketing programs.
“We are looking forward to using the Luxury Asset Directory created by our marketing team. This is just one of the many takeaways I can’t wait to implement,” said Amy Madson, owner and vacation specialist, Dream Vacations Madson & Associates. “Attending the luxury summit allowed us to hear from top suppliers in a short timeframe giving us the opportunity to compare and contrast their products more clearly. This helps us better qualify which cruise line is the best for each particular client. The knowledge we gain from these types of events is an invaluable tool in helping us grow our business.”
